The search for a missing Oregon woman was called off after no evidence was uncovered to verify claims that she vanished on a hike with her boyfriend, authorities said.
Allyson Watterson, 20, was initially believed to have become separated from her boyfriend, Benjamin Garland, last Sunday during a hike in the North Plains area and disappeared, OregonLive reported.
“If I believed she was in an area I could find her, this wouldn’t be getting suspended,” Search and Rescue commander Tony Morris told the outlet. “We’ve just chased everything we had.”
Washington County Sheriff’s Office said there was a 30-hour delay between the time Watterson was last seen and when her boyfriend’s father, Don Garland, reported her missing to authorities.
His father told deputies that he and his son spent the day looking for Watterson to no avail.
“We’ve never been able to verify this narrative,” Deputy Brian van Kleef said in a press release.
Van Kleef said the men were reluctant to file a report because there were multiple outstanding warrants for Benjamin’s arrest. He was arrested Tuesday on charges unrelated to Watterson’s disappearance and pleaded not guilty in Washington County court.



