In the small community of Rosburg, Washington, 39-year-old Susan Lynn Ault was last seen on June 24, 2001. She had been staying in a trailer on a friend's property at the time of her disappearance. The circumstances surrounding her vanishing were initially scarce, leaving her family and friends without answers for years. About a month after she was last seen, a clue surfaced when her purse and credit cards were found at a rest stop along Interstate 5, near the Toutle River and the town of
Castle Rock, but this discovery did not lead to her whereabouts.
For two decades, Susan's case remained a painful mystery. The official classification was that of an endangered missing person, and the investigation continued, though leads were few. The passage of time did little to erase the questions or the hope for resolution. The quiet, rural landscape of Wahkiakum County held its secrets, and the community was left to wonder about Susan's fate. Her family had to endure the anguish of not knowing what had happened to their loved one, a pain compounded by the years of silence and uncertainty.
A significant breakthrough in the case finally came in 2021 when human remains were discovered in Wahkiakum County. It would take another three years for those remains to be definitively identified. In November of 2024, through the use of DNA technology and a sample provided by Susan's daughter, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Susan Lynn Ault. This somber discovery officially closed her missing person case, bringing a measure of certainty to her family, though it was not the outcome they had longed for. Following the identification, Susan's case was reclassified as a homicide, opening a new chapter in the long search for justice. The investigation into her death is ongoing, and authorities are asking for anyone with information to come forward.Last Seen: Jun 24, 2001
