Body of missing Abbotsford woman Erica Schmidt found

The whole community came together to looking for missing 59-year-old Erica Schmidt, but today Abbotsford Police confirmed they had found her body.

On New Year’s Day a police officer discovered the body in a dense brush in the 2100-block of Whatcom Road. There is no indication of foul play and officers say they believe the body has been there for some time.

Schmidt has not been seen since early October. Police say she likely left the family home on Timberlane Drive on Oct. 5 and she never returned.

“There were Search and Rescue deployments, there were police officers and major crime unit detectives that were dedicated to doing everything that they could to find Erica,” says Cst. Ian MacDonald with the Abbotsford Police. “And obviously very very public appeals by the police department and by the friend and family. So a real concerted effort, a lot of people were very motivated and engaged and a lot of people obviously caring about her family and about Erica came to the forefront, and complete strangers were phoning and following the story.”