She Left To Take Her Stepdaughter’s Dog For A Walk In 2018, But While The Pup Returned Home Four Days Later, She Vanished

In 2018, Lauralyn Palmer of Fall River Mills, California, was a 71-year-old retired nurse. She and her husband of 20 years, Bob Palmer, were living together in a home located in the 23000 block of Cassel Fall River Road.
Lauralyn is regarded by her family as a very active, social, and caring woman. In her free time, she volunteered at a thrift shop, and on Tuesday evenings, she went bowling with her friends.
“My mom was known really well in the community because she was the hospice nurse and had worked at the hospital. So a lot of people knew her because she was taking care of their parents or family members,” said Lauralyn’s son, Dave Crotwell.
“She went bowling with friends every Tuesday night. And she was very proud that she could go on a four-mile walk and be fine, as well as volunteer four to five times a week.”
According to loved ones, she was also reportedly showing early signs of dementia leading up to her mysterious disappearance.
It all began on April 20, 2018. That Friday, Lauralyn was last seen at home by her husband. It was about 4:30 p.m., and she’d just gotten back from the thrift store where she volunteered.
Upon arriving home, Lauralyn reportedly said hello to her husband, got a lite beer out of their fridge, and left to walk her stepdaughter’s dog – a Blue Heeler named Lucy – in the woods located southeast of her house. Apparently, she and her husband were caring for the dog for a few days.
Since Lauralyn lived in a less populated area, she normally walked Lucy without a leash. The route the pair often walked also usually took about 15 minutes. Yet, after Lauralyn left and 25 minutes passed by, neither she nor Lucy returned home.
“My stepdad wondered why she wasn’t back yet because he always looks out for her. So he went searching for her. But after she’d been gone 45 minutes, he started calling the neighbors to ask if they’d seen her,” Dave recalled.

Facebook – pictured above is Lauralyn
Tragically, Lauralyn was never seen or heard from again, and two hours after she disappeared, Bob contacted the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department to report her missing.
Once an investigation was launched, it was discovered that all of Lauralyn’s personal belongings – including her purse, wallet, and phone – had been left on the kitchen counter. All she was carrying on her walk was a can of lite beer, and she was wearing thick eyeglasses.
Authorities also conducted extensive searches of the area surrounding Lauralyn’s home.
“The Shasta County Search and Rescue was activated, and numerous resources were deployed to the area to aid in the search for Palmer. These resources included Dirt Riders, Mounted Posse, Ground Team, Jeepers, and Mountain Rescue. The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office will continue the search for Palmer throughout the night,” said the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post on the first day of the search for Lauralyn.
According to Dave, authorities had search dogs, the California Highway Patrol helicopter, and people on horseback searching for his mother – calling the search and rescue effort “very professional.”
But, as days of searching went on, investigators still did not find any evidence connected to Lauralyn or her stepdaughter’s dog.
Then, four days after Lauralyn vanished, the dog, Lucy, shockingly returned home at about 12:00 p.m. The dog was alone and appeared to be in good health. But, while the dog accepted water, it did not eat any food – indicating Lucy may have been fed by someone else while away from home.
This unexpected arrival wound up extending the search for Lauralyn since authorities tried to get the dog to lead them to her. Additionally, investigators took samples from under Lucy’s nails, as well as her hair, to try and determine where the dog had been for the last four days.
Unfortunately, though, these samples also didn’t lead to any more clues. So, after a five-day search effort, the efforts dwindled.
Still, Dave and his loved ones kept searching, and they brought in a tracking dog from Mendocino County. The canine smelled Lauralyn’s shoes and searched for the scent outside.
“The dog tracked her scent along her main walking route to an abandoned trailer, then to a dirt road, and then out to the main road. The scent disappeared at the main road,” Dave explained.
So, Lauralyn’s case has remained unsolved for over six years now, and even though she’d begun having trouble remembering things leading up to her disappearance, Dave doesn’t believe she got lost on her walk. After all, she took the same route multiple days a week.
“There’s one thing I do know: She didn’t take off on her own will. So, her body is still out there, and the dog stayed until she passed away, and we just haven’t found her body yet. Or someone took her and either they took the dog with her, or the dog followed them and then came back. They could have disposed of her, or the rare case is that they still have her,” he said.
Lauralyn’s loved ones haven’t given up hope on finding answers. They created a Facebook group entitled Find Lyn Palmer to raise awareness about her case. Dave claimed that it’s especially important for Lauralyn’s husband, Bob, to get closure.
“Bob is a super nice guy and always took care of my mom. He beats himself up and thinks it happened on his watch. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for him to live in the exact area she disappeared in,” he said.
“We love her and want to find her. There are so many people in the community who want to find her.”
At the time she vanished, Lauralyn was five foot two, weighed 140 pounds, and had gray hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes.
There is currently a $5,000 reward being offered by Shasta County’s Secret Witness program and her family for information that leads to her discovery.
If you have any information regarding her disappearance, you are urged to contact the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 245-6540.
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