Authorities in northwest Iowa have released information on a rural Salix woman who died after walking away from her vehicle in a blizzard sometime after January 1st. The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department says 49-year-old Jane Toft’s body was found less than a mile from her stranded SUV on January 5.
Her relatives had requested a wellness check and helped deputies search an area near Toft’s home. The body was found by deputies who noticed a lone set of footprints that originated at the vehicle. It was extremely cold, with blowing and drifting snow, at the time Toft went missing.
Investigators have not determined why Toft abandoned the SUV, which contained ample gasoline and some food items.
By Randy Renshaw, KSCJ, Sioux City