FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — An eastern Kentucky woman who has been missing since flooding devastated the region has been declared dead.
In his Team Kentucky update, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 60-year-old Vanessa Baker has been officially declared dead.
“First the sad news from earlier this week is that our death toll is now risen to 45. That now includes Vanessa Baker of Breathitt County who has been missing since the flooding occurred in July. We were able to add Mrs. Baker to this list because a judge ruled in Breathitt County that she’d now be considered deceased for purposes of starting the probate,” Beshear said while addressing the status of the flood recovery in eastern Kentucky.
In Kentucky, a person can be legally ruled dead by a judge in the event of a “catastrophic event” and after a diligent search has been completed.
Baker was officially the last person ruled missing from the flooding and search teams have been attempting to locate her since late August.
Kentucky State Police previously told FOX 56 that the hardest part is still not being able to give the family closure even after covering so much ground.