Crews Search for Missing Moxee Woman
Search and rescue crews are sweeping across the valley in search of 50-year-old Norma Gordon, a Moxee woman who has been missing for more than 24 hours.
Gordon's neighbor and long-time friend, Lorena Hitchcock, says her father saw Gordon walk past their house with her black chihuahua yesterday, something Gordon wouldn't normally do.
"She stayed home... She... I've never heard of her wandering off," says Hitchcock.
Norma's husband Claude Gordon, who did not want to appear on camera, tell us his wife suffers from mental illness, including bipolar disorder.
"She'll sit there and she'll act like she's chanting. She'll rock back and forth, and she'll repeat stuff," says Hitchcock.
It's an illness officials believe contributed to her disappearance.
"You have a lady that has mental health issues that may not realize her current status or whereabouts. She truly is, although in a local residential to rural neighborhood, she truly is lost," says Sergeant George Town.
Neighbors say they last saw Norma walking down Windy Ridge Lane, where she then proceeded to head westward down Postma Road."
Yakima County Sheriff's deputies say no one is to blame.
"There's no indication here of any kind of foul play. We don't suspect any kind of a crime, or anything like that. It looks like at this point - and that's what we're basing all of the search on - is that this lady has just wandered off," says Sergeant Town.
Lorena Hitchcock just wants to see her friend home safe.
"I hope he finds her, I hope she's okay. Because she needs a little bit of assistance," says Hitchcock.
Norma was last seen wearing blue pants or jeans, boots, and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Norma is described as 5 foot 3, 110 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
You are asked to call the sheriff's office if you have any details.