On October 16, 2018, at 1:05 p.m. Fort Scott Police Department officers were dispatched to 402 S. Clark in reference to a missing person report.

Upon arrival, it was learned that Edith Hawkins, 72, had left her residence earlier in the day at approximately 10 a.m. and had not been seen since.

Family members reported that Hawkins suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease.

Members of the Fort Scott Police and Fire Departments,  Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office, Mercy Emergency Medical Services and three rural fire departments began a search for the woman in and around Fort Scott.

At approximately 3:01 p.m. a deceased body believed to be Hawkins was found in the water of the Marmaton River between Second Street Bridge and the North National Bridge.

The body was sent to Frontier Forensics in Kansas City to assist in the investigation.