British woman missing from Almeria for three months could have been found dead in Granada

The body of a woman which was found on Friday 5 December beside a ditch on the A-92 near Cúllar in Granada province is believed to be that of a 74-year-old British woman who went missing from Almeria province in September. Geraldine had been reported missing by 18 September, having last seen her in the hamlet Contador (Chirivel), four kilometers from the site where the body has been found.

Geraldine, a woman with a cognitive disorder who was last seen at Contador the night of September 17, when she went home to get food for some cats. A call to the emergency service number 112 was made at 10.20pm informing them that she hadn’t returned home. Her husband reported the disappearance of her around 11am on the next day.

Geraldine and husband have been living in the hamlet together for over 20 year. At the time of her disappearance, she was wearing white flip-flops and dark pyjamas. Search teams scoured a four-kilometre radius around the centre of the town for weeks. They were assisted by helicopters, drones and specialised dogs, as well as the Granada Mountain Rescue team. The Chirivel Town Hall asked people to be vigilant and stay alert in the area. They also asked that anyone who was doing sports or farming to keep an eye out for any clues.

Autopsy

Ideal, a newspaper in Spain, has reported that an autopsy is scheduled to take place within the next few weeks. The causes of death are currently unknown. The body of the deceased was found in the ditch on the left side, at kilometres 80 and 92 of the A-92 heading towards Granada. The Guardia Civil took charge of the investigations and activated the protocol.

Chirivel Town Hall has, despite official confirmations, communicated the “sad” news of death of the British resident through its social media. The town hall expressed its deepest condolences in this time of sorrow to the family, friends, and loved ones of the British resident.

The town hall also thanked the Guardia Civil, Civil Protection, Emergency Service 112, GREA, environmental officer, firefighters, Local Police, Cúllar and Oria town halls for their “work, coordination and dedication” provided during the last three months to try to find the missing woman. The message highlighted “all local volunteers” who had been actively involved in the search for the woman since her disappearance.

The town hall has also requested “maximum respect” for the family and expressed gratitude for “the understanding and the support of all citizens” in recent weeks who have participated in the search of the woman in teams, and within a radius of four kilometers around the centre of the town. Helicopters were used, as well as drones, specialised canines and the Granada Mountain Rescue Team.