An Oregon woman who disappeared after accepting a ride from a stranger when her car ran out of gas has been found safe and unharmed, state police confirmed Friday. Maria Linda Jade Kilmer, 28, was last seen Saturday on Highway 22 near milepost 15, east of Salem.
Police released no details about the disappearance, simply thanking those who provided tips and law enforcement partners. Kilmer had been travelling from Lyons to Salem with a passenger when they ran out of fuel near Stayton around 9 p.m. She called her stepmother and sister for help, sharing her location via phone. However, when they arrived, Kilmer was gone, leaving the passenger alone.
The passenger, whom authorities asked not to be identified, told the family Kilmer left with a person who stopped to offer help. Her stepmother, Amber Brecht, expressed concern: 'Something is not adding up. We realise something is wrong here. Something might have happened that she doesn't want to tell us about... We just want to know that she is safe and alive.'
Kilmer left behind her phone, wallet, keys, glasses and medications – items her family says she would never normally abandon. Her sister Jasmine Humeland said, 'It doesn’t make any sense. My sister’s not the kind of person to just leave somebody on the side of the road, and I don’t think she would have just gotten into a stranger’s car.' Adding to the confusion, Brecht received text messages from unknown numbers claiming to be Kilmer, but the messages did not sound like her.
