A chilling development has emerged in the case of Mekenna Reiley, a 40-year-old speech teacher who mysteriously vanished in April. A body was recently discovered in the Blue River Reservoir, located east of Eugene, Oregon, where Reiley resided. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office disclosed the discovery on Sunday, noting that the remains were found the previous day. However, the identity of the body and the cause of death have yet to be confirmed.
Reiley’s disappearance has been shrouded in mystery since she was last seen in April, following a peculiar incident at a nearby construction site. Workers reported that she arrived at the site without clothes and appeared to be in a state of fear. Her personal items, including her keys, purse, and phone, were later found at her home in Blue River, further deepening the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
Scott McKee, a private investigator hired by Reiley’s family, has suggested that the body found might be Reiley’s. However, he emphasized that this is a preliminary assumption and that the final identification will be determined during the autopsy. The sheriff’s office, currently dealing with multiple wildfire evacuation orders, has promised more information in the coming week.
Reiley’s disappearance was officially reported on April 5, after her strange encounter at the construction site, which is about 150 miles south of Portland. According to her sister, Bevin Stepp, Reiley was scared and claimed she had no safe place to go. Stepp also mentioned that investigators suggested Reiley might have been under the influence of drugs or had been drugged, a claim that the sheriff’s office has denied.
Reiley, a native of Pennsylvania, had plans to visit a friend in Arkansas at the time of her disappearance and had expressed a desire to move back to her home state due to safety concerns. Despite a history of domestic violence with her ex-boyfriend, he has been ruled out as a suspect in her disappearance.
Reiley’s belongings, including her phone, car, fresh groceries, and pet dog, were found at her home. A bag of clothes was later discovered in the woods, but there were no other signs of her. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.