Ga. Woman Missing For 3 Weeks Found Alive In Deerfield Beach
MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Missing for more than three weeks, a Georgia woman whose disappearance in August made national news has been found safe in Miami-Dade, authorities said.
CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald reports the details about where and how Ivy Dawn Merck was found were not known Sunday. her family and friends had created a "Find Ivy Dawn Merck" Facebook page.
The Broward Sheriff's Office, which had been helping in the search since the woman's vehicle was found in a Deerfield Beach parking lot on Aug. 30, sent an email to media Saturday night confirming that Merck had been located safe in Miami Beach.
Merck, who turned 25 on Friday, had been missing since Aug. 23. She had last been seen in Kingsland, Ga.; the Camden County Sheriff's Office has been providing updates on her case on its Facebook page.
On Sept. 11, the agency wrote that two notes had been found in Merck's car mentioning that there were issues that made her want to get away. Thursday, the sheriff's office said investigators feared Merck might have intended to hurt herself.
"Everyone involved hopes Ivy can be brought home safely but the likelihood of that happening greatly diminishes every day," the agency wrote.
Investigators also asked friends, family and anyone else who was concerned to write birthday messages to Merck on Facebook.
The agency's most recent update came Saturday, saying that Merck had been found alive in Miami and her parents were with her.
On the "Find Ivy Dawn Merck" Facebook page, Merck's brother Chad said Saturday that details would follow.
"She is safe and this page was instrumental to the story," he wrote. "Thanks for your support!!!"
By Sunday afternoon, 1,279 people had liked the post and more than 150 had commented.
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