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Written by: E. George
Published November 13, 2024 @ 3:15 PM ET
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – The search for 89-year-old Patricia Miele, who disappeared from a Marietta assisted living facility on Friday, November 8, ended in tragedy when her body was discovered in a pond at Kennesaw Memorial Park cemetery days later.
Miele, a hearing and vision-impaired woman who had only recently moved into the Greenwood Assisted Living Facility on Whitlock Road, was last seen by staff at around 11:00 PM on Friday. Staff reported that she had been showing signs of confusion and disorientation prior to her disappearance.
Miele was without her eyeglasses when she left, which may have compounded her difficulties.
The facility reported Miele missing to the Marietta Police Department by 9:30 AM the following morning, triggering an immediate response from law enforcement and emergency personnel. The search for Miele became an extensive and multi-agency effort.
According to reports, the facility did not have security cameras to provide any clear evidence of which direction she had gone or how she exited the building.
The Marietta Police Department, along with local authorities from Cobb County and nearby park rangers, launched a widespread search. They scoured the grounds of the facility, performing five separate searches of the building and approximately twelve searches of the surrounding area.
Law enforcement and search teams conducted a grid search that included K9 units, thermal imaging, drones, and even helicopters deployed by the Georgia State Patrol.
Despite these extensive efforts, no leads emerged until Monday, when a couple who had been volunteering in the search made a heartbreaking discovery. The couple was walking through a park near the Greenwood Assisted Living Facility when they found Miele’s body floating in a pond in the cemetery.
The pond, located less than half a mile from the facility, had been searched earlier by divers, but the body was not discovered until the couple happened upon it while walking through the area.
Chuck McPhilamy, spokesperson for the Marietta Police Department, described the discovery as both tragic and bittersweet. “Although it may bring some closure to the family, this is such a tragic end to this community effort to try to locate her,” McPhilamy said in a statement. The body was quickly recovered and identified as Miele’s.
In the hours after Miele’s disappearance, the Marietta Police and local authorities had launched a public appeal for help in locating her. The community responded with an outpouring of support.
Flyers with Miele’s description were distributed, and local media helped spread the word about the search. The public was also urged to check for any possible sightings of Miele or video footage from surveillance cameras within a two-mile radius of the facility.
Social media posts and press releases sought to encourage further leads, and many in the community actively joined the search efforts.
McPhilamy expressed gratitude for the level of support received from the community, noting, “They were blown away, I think would be the appropriate phrase at the level of support that came from so many people wanting to help find their loved one.”
Although no foul play was initially suspected, the Marietta Police Department stated that they would continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Miele’s death. Given that there were no signs of physical trauma or suspicious activity at the scene, the department is working to determine how Miele ended up in the pond.
“We are still investigating to determine exactly what happened,” McPhilamy explained. “Right now, there is no indication of foul play, but the investigation continues.” Authorities are considering the possibility that Miele may have become disoriented and accidentally wandered into the cemetery area, where she ultimately ended up near the pond.
Miele’s relatives expressed gratitude for the efforts of law enforcement, the community, and volunteers who helped search for her.
Patricia Miele’s cause of death is still under investigation.