News Briefs
Body of missing Ronan woman found in Sanders County
The body of a woman who was reported missing from Ronan last Wednesday, Oct. 30, was found later the same day near Dog Lake in Sanders County.
According to a report from the Lake County Sheriff, emergency dispatchers received a report at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday that 62-year-old Patricia Clary, of Ronan, was missing.
She had last been seen at a store in Ronan at around noon on Tuesday and it was believed she had travelled south on U.S. Highway 93 and was headed to the Dixon area.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said deputies, CSKT Tribal Police, game wardens and the Sanders County Sheriff's Office began to look for Clary. A Sanders County resident found her vehicle in the Dog Lake area, south of Hot Springs, at around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Sheriff Bell said Clary was found dead in her car and the Sanders County Coroner's Office is investigating the death.
"The Lake County Sheriff's Office wishes to extend our condolences to the family of Mrs. Clary," the sheriff said.
Eva Prather's body recovered from river
The body of a former St. Ignatius resident who went missing Dec. 30, 2023, was recovered from the Clark Fork River near Missoula in mid-October.
Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen recently confirmed that the body, which was recovered from the water on Oct. 13, was that of Eva Prather.
The 43-year-old had been missing since leaving her home in Missoula in the early morning hours of Dec. 30. She had been the subject of a massive search effort involving law enforcement, family and friends.
Before moving to Missoula several years ago, Prather and her husband, Dave, grew vegetables in St. Ignatius. He’s now the general manager of the Western Montana Growers Coop and she was a technical writer for the U.S. Forest Service.
“Our hearts broke with this news as we held out hope, however slim, for a different outcome,” wrote Dave Prather in a Facebook post. “While the coming months will be difficult, we are certain that this news will eventually lead to some closure for our family and for those close to Eva.”
He added that celebration of her life will be planned at a later date, and asked that people “respect our privacy at this time.”
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Eva M. Prather. We recognize that her case touched many people within our community who showed remarkable support and care throughout the search efforts. This shared compassion has been invaluable, and we hope that, in time, everyone can find some peace and closure," read a statement released last Friday by the Missoula Police Department.
The cause and manner of her death remains under investigation.