Missing Meriwether woman located in San Diego

A Meriwether County woman missing since Jan. 15 has been found safe in California, authorities say.

Karen Kristina Lee, 31, was reported missing Jan. 26. She reportedly was last seen Jan. 15 leaving her home on Roosevelt Highway, and her last known communication was reported to have been by phone on Jan. 18, according to the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office.

Law enforcement subsequently located Lee in San Diego, California, according to a statement released by Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith Thursday.

“Karen Lee was reported to have traveled to the location by her own free will,” Smith said.

Smith said a key element in locating the missing woman was the immediate utilization of several resources available to his office, including the distribution of Lee’s information through the Regional Organized Crime Information Center.

A crime analyst in Hinesville, Georgia picked up the ROCIC alert, according to Smith, and entered Lee’s information into a database. The analyst discovered that the San Diego Police Department had made contact with Lee on Jan. 21, before she was reported missing from Greenville.

“(She) was reported to be okay during this law enforcement encounter by the officer(s) with SDPD,” Smith said. “SDPD detectives were able to provide pictures of Karen Lee and a report which dictates the contact, along with the verification of the positive identification.”

Lee’s family has been provided the information, Smith said, along with Lee’s last known location.

“The family has also confirmed the identity of Lee through the provided photos,” he said.

Smith said he is grateful for the collective law enforcement effort in finding Lee – led by Meriwether Sheriff’s Inv. Mike Sarno and Sgt. Carl White – and the positive outcome. He also expressed his appreciation for the public’s help with posting Lee’s information on social media and the resulting tips about her possible whereabouts.

“Working collaboratively, we all were able to locate this missing person,” Smith said.