Skull Belongs to Mysteriously Vanished Woman

Nov. 23, 2011— -- A skull found by hunters in Ohio has been positively identified as a woman who mysteriously disappeared more than a year ago.

Faith Willison, 56, of Clark County, disappeared in June 28, 2010, after her car was seen traveling off a four-lane highway and crashing to a halt on the side of the road. A delivery truck driver saw the accident, turned around and came back to the scene, to call 911. But when the truck driver arrived back at the scene of the crash, there no was no driver or passenger in sight, according to Clark County Sheriff Gene Kelly.

No blood was found inside the vehicle and the air bags were not deployed, Kelly said. Ohio highway patrol officers found a pair of flip flops in front of the vehicle, he said.

Police determined that Willison had left a note the day before telling her husband she had decided to return to a mental health facility to seek further treatment. She had prescription medications with her for her mental health problems, Kelly said.

"We began to look for her, we organized searches and flyovers, cadaver dogs, all kinds of things," he said. "Nothing."

In January 2011, hunters found a purse in a field close to the accident and contacted authorities when they recognized the name on the license inside, he said. All of Willison's identification cards and licenses were in the purse, in addition to prescription medication.

The skull, found Saturday, was positively identified by an Ohio dentist, and has been sent to a medical examiner for toxicology screening. There was no blunt trauma or bullet wounds detected on the skull, he said. The investigation is still open. No cause of death has been determined and they have not ruled it a suicide. They do not know whether Kelly got lost or disoriented following the accident, he said.

Kelly noted that the valley where the skull and purse were found had been flooded throughout the past year, and it's possible that other bones have been carried to other parts of the area. Willison may have been walking along the creek line that goes through the valley, he said.

Kelly said police are still baffled by how the woman disappeared immediately following the crash.

"It was only 60, 90 seconds for the driver to turn around and come back," he said. "Was she hiding in the grass? We don't know."