Loretta “Lori” Evelyn Moore had last been seen leaving an acquaintance’s home near Castle Rock.
CASTLE ROCK, Wash. — A 55-year-old woman reported missing after she failed to return home last week was found dead Wednesday night inside her overturned car in Arkansas Creek, Cowlitz County authorities said.
Loretta “Lori” Evelyn Moore had been the subject of a missing person search since Saturday, one day after relatives said she did not come home from visiting an acquaintance in the Castle Rock area. Deputies said her disappearance drew concern because she missed family plans for Father’s Day, failed to show up for work and had no known phone, credit card or online activity after the night she vanished.
Moore was last seen June 19 after visiting an acquaintance in Castle Rock, a city in southwestern Washington near Interstate 5. Detectives later obtained video showing Moore leaving that address at about 9:25 p.m. in a black 2018 Honda Accord, authorities said. Cellphone records placed her traveling south on Interstate 5 minutes later, with her last known phone location around 9:30 p.m. The sheriff’s office later said it had asked for help finding Moore “due to the suspicious nature of her disappearance,” citing the lack of contact and activity after she left.
The search changed Wednesday night when a community member flagged down a Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputy in the Castle Rock area. The person reported seeing a black car upside down in Arkansas Creek. Deputies said the vehicle was partly submerged, with its top in the water, and a body was found inside. Investigators said the car matched Moore’s Honda Accord. The person inside was identified as Moore, and no one else was found in the car. Her next of kin was notified after the discovery.
Investigators said the Honda appeared to have left the road, crossed a field and struck an embankment before rolling into the creek. The car came to rest upside down in about three feet of water. Authorities have not said what caused the car to leave the road. Family members told investigators Moore had a medical condition that affected her heart, but officials have not said whether that condition played any role in the crash. The Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office listed freshwater drowning as the presumed cause of death, while final autopsy results remain pending.
The case moved from a missing person search to a death investigation after the vehicle was found. Deputies and detectives were reviewing Moore’s final known movements, including the video from the Castle Rock home and cellphone information from the night of June 19. Officials have not announced any arrests or said that another person was involved. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains open, and the coroner’s final findings are expected to help determine the official cause and manner of death.
Moore’s disappearance had drawn attention in Cowlitz County because relatives said her absence was unusual. She had missed a Father’s Day gathering planned by her family and later missed work, both of which deepened concern. The sheriff’s office said it extended condolences to Moore’s family and friends after the discovery. The scene near Arkansas Creek also underscored how several days passed before the overturned vehicle was spotted by a member of the public and reported to law enforcement.
As of Friday, authorities had not released a final autopsy report or a finding on what caused the crash. The next milestone in the case is the coroner’s completed report and any further update from the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.
Author note: Last updated June 26, 2026.