Mom mysteriously missing for 5 months is found dead in wooded area, Missouri cops say

Remains have been found of a mother who had been missing for more than five months, Missouri authorities say.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in an Oct. 1 news release a De Soto property owner discovered the body of Emily Strite on Sept. 28. The remains were discovered in a wooded area on the property.

Strite’s cause of death has not been determined, and it’s unclear how long her body was in the woods, the sheriff said.

A sheriff’s official told Dateline there is no indication of foul play.

Deputies said Strite was last seen April 12 walking the De Soto area. She was believed to have been “leaving the area on her own free will.”

Charlyn McClain, Strite’s mother, reported her missing April 20 when she had not heard from her, KTVI reported.

A close friend of Strite’s said she “immediately knew” that “something was seriously wrong” when she got the call from McClain about her being missing.

The area where her body was found, Strite’s mother said, was in the same block she had been living, Dateline reported.

Strite would have turned 34 on May 30.

Strite, a mother of three, was described by her sister as “a fighter (who was) resilient,” she told KTVI.

“Emily was, like, the most happy person,” McClain said in an interview with Dateline. “The most caring person.”

De Soto is about a 45-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.

This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 8:56 AM with the headline "Mom mysteriously missing for 5 months is found dead in wooded area, Missouri cops say."