UPDATE: Lane Co. missing woman’s car found, case still open

This article has been updated with new information.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The car of a missing Lane County woman was found in Rural Josephine County.

On June 19, Fauna Frey found her older brother dead from at heart attack. It was another tragedy for Fauna after her sister died in 2006, followed by the death of their mother two years later.

Fauna was still mourning her brother’s death on June 28 when she reportedly drove her blue Jeep Grand Cherokee from Dexter, Oregon to the Rogue Valley to bring some of her late brother’s possessions to one of his friends.

When Fauna arrived in Grants Pass, she checked in to the Super 8 on Northeast 7th Street and called her father, who said she sounded distressed over the phone.

According to a Dateline interview, Fauna’s father encouraged her to get a more secluded cabin where she’d feel comfortable.

She made a reservation at the Weasku Inn for the following night and told her father she’d call him when she got there. It was the last time they spoke.

It appears that when Fauna got off the phone, she went and bought a few camping-related items at some local stores, according to credit card records.

Security footage showed Fauna coming back to her hotel room after the purchases. Additional footage shows her leaving her room the following day with her bags and other personal belongings. It was the last time anyone reported seeing Fauna. She was reported missing a few days later.

Family and friends, along with search and rescue teams, scoured the area for any sign of Fauna or her vehicle. They couldn’t find anything. That is, until nearly three months later.

On September 23, deputies found Fauna’s unoccupied, locked Jeep in the Galice area on Reuben Mountain Road a few miles past the Grave Creek boat landing. Investigators believe it was parked there for at least a month, maybe more.

The area around the vehicle was searched with cadaver dogs on September 24, but Fauna wasn’t located.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, call the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office at 541-474-5123.

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