Account
Sep 26, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
Deenah
Padgett
59
59
56 inches
90 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the late summer of 2024, a 68-year-old grandmother named Deenah Martin Padgett vanished from the rural area of Prospect, Oregon, leaving her family desperate for answers. The exact date she was last seen is uncertain, with reports ranging from mid-August to early September of that year. At the time of her disappearance, Deenah, a woman petite in stature at 4-foot-8 and weighing between 90 and 100 pounds, was camping with her boyfriend, Dave Whipple. They had set up an undeveloped campsite along River Road near Forest Service Road 64. Whipple, who was also identified as her caregiver, told authorities that he had left their campsite to go to work, and when he returned, Deenah was gone. She was officially reported as a missing person on September 8, 2024. Her last known attire was a pair of black shorts. Deenah, who had become a widow in her 40s, moved to Oregon from her native Alabama in November 2019. She had sold her home, purchased an RV, and relocated for a relationship that ultimately did not last. Before moving to the forest campsite, she and Whipple had been living in her RV on a ranch property on Highway 62. They left the ranch after disagreements with other people living on the property, leaving her RV behind. In the time leading up to her disappearance, Deenah had reportedly expressed to friends and family that she felt she was in danger. Her relatives in Alabama were concerned for her and wanted her to return home, but she was unwilling to leave Oregon without Whipple. Tragically, the narrative took another turn when Whipple passed away in December 2024, only a few months after he reported Deenah missing. The search for Deenah has been extensive, involving the Jackson County Sheriff's Office detectives and Search and Rescue personnel who have thoroughly combed the area. Deenah's family, upon traveling to Oregon after learning she was missing, discovered some of her personal belongings in the woods outside of Prospect. A year after her disappearance, her family returned to follow up on new leads and distribute flyers, holding onto hope. However, with the passage of time and a lack of significant updates from law enforcement, her family began to suspect foul play was involved in her disappearance. Believing that Deenah would have contacted them if she were able, they have considered hiring a private investigator to look deeper into the case. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office continues to ask for the public's help, requesting that anyone with information regarding Deenah Padgett's whereabouts contact them. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance remain unclear, and with no solid leads, the case of what happened to Deenah Padgett is still an unsolved and heartbreaking mystery.
Sep 04, 2024
Prospect
Oregon
Jackson County
Prospect
No
154254
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
Central Point
Oregon
Jackson County
97502
Preston Friend
Detective
5179 Crater Lake Highway, Oregon
5417746800
County
Law Enforcement
24-4928
2024-09-08
Jackson County Sheriff's Office
2697
Gray or Partially Gray
Brown
Brown
05/30/2026
