Wahkiakum is one of the smallest and most rural counties in WA, it borders Pacific County in the southwestern corner of the state, just east of the coast. Now, a missing woman from there has been ID'd after 23 years.
The Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office says Susan Lynn Ault went missing from an area in the county near Rosburg in 2001, and her remains were later found in 2021.
Despite extensive searches, no leads have been established yet. But now, results have returned from a new extensive DNA Geneology test, showing the set of remains found 3 years ago are indeed the missing woman. These new tests utilize DNA from family members, and are considered extremely accurate.
This test involved DNA from her daughter.
The tests were made possible by help from the Washington State Physical Anthropologist's Office and Bode Technology Group, Inc. Ault was 39 when she vanished. The WCSO did not elaborate, but now says evidence, along the DNA identification, have changed this from a missing person's case to a homicide investigation.
The Wahkiakum County Coroner says multiple agencies have searched for Ault for years, and says this ID will help the family with closure and hopefully lead to the person or persons responsible for her death.