An Evans woman who was last seen Sunday has been found, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, but it did not specify whether she was safe.
Kaylee Russell, 20, has been missing since 6 p.m. Sunday, when she was last seen at the Loveland/Johnstown Park-N-Ride.
Around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan that Russell was driving when she disappeared was found off the east side of Colorado Boulevard near Weld County Road 80, submerged in water in a canal, according to a Colorado State Patrol news release
Divers saw a body in the car, but officials have not yet identified the person as Russell. The Larimer County Coroner’s Office, not the Weld County Coroner’s Office as previously reported, said it would identify the body and determine the cause and manner of death early next week.
But family friend Josh Schweitzer, who was at the scene of the crash, said Thursday that Russell’s loved ones believe she is the person who was in the car.
A set up on behalf of Russell’s family also said she had been found dead.
“Kaylee has been found and unfortunately, she did not survive,” according to the GoFundMe set up by Kristina Dahlstrom. The GoFundMe, which is up to more than $14,600 as of early Friday afternoon, says it will help with funeral expenses and additional financial support for Russell’s mother, Rebecca.
Rebecca described her daughter as a “beautiful soul” who “loved hard.” She praised Russell’s independence, noting she could be “hard headed and stubborn.”
“You never had to wonder where you stood with her,” Rebecca said in a text message. “She stood up for what she believed.”
Officials from Weld RE-9, the school district Russell graduated from last year, also shared its condolences on social media.
“The Weld RE-9 School District is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our 2024 graduates, Kaylee Russell,” the district said in . “We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, classmates and all who were touched by her life.”
The day she went missing, Russell dropped her father off at the park-n-ride on Sunday evening after he rode along on her route as a package delivery driver. She headed to a friend’s house in Pierce around 6 p.m. and her father called her around 6:10 p.m. to make sure a headlight he had adjusted that day was working and spoke with her briefly, the last time anyone spoke to Russell.
Family, friends and others had been searching for Russell’s car along Weld County Road 13, the route her father recommended to get her to the friend’s house, until her car was found Thursday. The search included numerous parking lots throughout the region, including Centerra, Medical Center of the Rockies and various hotels.
This is the second loss Russell’s family has suffered in recent years. Russell’s brother, Isaiah, died in March 2023.
“We are devastated to go through this again,” Rebecca said.
Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes unit is investigating the crash, troopers say. CBI agents and Evans Police officers, who were leading the investigation into Russell’s disappearance, responded to the scene of the crash Thursday to assist Larimer County Sheriff’s deputies, who found the submerged vehicle.
Editor’s note: This story was updated 3:48 p.m. Friday to correct that a headlight on Russell’s car had been adjusted, not replaced.
