BUCKEYE, AZ — Buckeye police say 46-year-old Hope Tucker and her dog have been found dead after being missing since May.
Police say Hope's body was located around 6:30 a.m. Monday near the Sienna Hills community north of Interstate 10. The area is about a mile and half from where her car broke down along I-10 and Watson Road.
Police gave an update on this case Monday afternoon:
Hope was with her adult son when their vehicle broke down on May 22.
Hope and her son, who is autistic and has limited communication ability, left the vehicle to seek shade.
Police believed Hope may have suffered a life-threatening medical emergency at that time.
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Just after 11 a.m. the same day, an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper located the vehicle on I-10, and it was towed.
Buckeye police made contact with Hope's son during a call at a gas station on Watson Road on May 24. He appeared to be in medical distress and was taken to the hospital, where he remained for about a month.
Hope's son was able to eventually report the information to a relative, who then called Phoenix police.
Phoenix police notified Buckeye police, who then initiated a search for Hope. The search went on for about two weeks before her remains and those of her dog were located.
Her exact cause of death is unknown at this time, but police say there were no obvious signs of trauma. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the exact cause of death.
