Crime & Safety

Missing Woman Was Outside in Frigid Temperatures Overnight

Officials believe the 72-year-old woman who went missing for 26 hours was outside in freezing conditions the whole time.

After an intensive search that is reported to have involved up to 200 people, returned home on her own at about 3:30 p.m. Jan. 3.

The Lawrenceville woman, who is said to suffer from mild dementia, walked away from her home at about 1:30 p.m. Jan. 2, sparking a massive search by several agencies. With temperatures that dipped into the 20s overnight, there was concern for her safety. According to a report in the Gwinnett Daily Post, Petersen suddenly reappeared at her home Tuesday afternoon while police were questioning the son who had reported her missing the day before. She is believed to have been outside for the 26 or so hours that she was missing and reportedly had a frozen bag of clothes with her when she returned.

The search covered an area that was concentrated on Rock Springs Park in Lawrenceville, which was close to the subdivision where Peterson lived with her son and where she was reportedly last seen. It began on Monday afternoon with Gwinnett County PD and resumed at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning with several other agencies joining in. Agencies assisting reportedly included a bloodhound unit from Hall County, code enforcement officers, the Gwinnett Sheriff's Office, Suwanee PD, and the Georgia State Defense Force.

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Petersen was checked out at Gwinnett Medical Center and detectives are reported to be following up on the circumstances that might have led to her leaving.


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