Body found in hammock in Alabama, confirmed to be missing woman from Ohio

BRENT, Ala. – The body found by hunters in a hammock in Alabama has been identified. Hunters found the body of 41-year-old woman Vendula “Wendy” Rose of Marysville, Ohio, in a hammock in the Talladega National Forest.

Rose disappeared while on a hike. Police said she was last seen on September 24 and was expected to return home on October 2.

The hunter told officers he came across a campsite and saw what looked like a body in a hammock-style tent about five miles north of the Pinhoti Trailhead in Cheaha State Park, where authorities originally found their car on Oct. 8 , found six days later after she was reported missing. Identification was based on photographs and identification cards found in a nearby bag.

Cleburne County Coroner Adam Downs said he was informed Wednesday by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science that the remains were those of Rose, an avid hiker as well as a wife and mother.

“While this is not an outcome that the family wanted or expected, it is our heart’s desire that this allows the family to have a separation,” Downs said. “Please join me in praying for the family as they mourn the loss of their beloved mother, wife, daughter and sister.”

Downs said the cause of death remains under investigation.

Before leaving on her hike, Rose talked to her family about storing some personal items in a safety deposit box at their bank. She also left her work keys with her employer, which was unusual for her before she left, authorities said.

Anyone with further information is asked to call Cleburne County Investigator Sims at 256-463-2277 ext. 110. Tips can also be left anonymously at 256-463-2277, option 4.