Family and friends of a 54-year-old grandmother from Indio who went missing last month in Washington state say they've gotten unusual texts that suggest she may have been met with foul play.
Kimberly Ann McHone went missing April 17 when she went for a walk in Port Townsend, about two hours northwest of Seattle, where she was staying to care for the elderly father of a family friend.
After she disappeared, McHone's mother received two texts from McHone's phone.
One said she sold a painting and needed $300 for shipping. The second said, "ThankyouMom!Imetahotguy!!!," according to the Port Townsend Police Department missing persons report.
"I knew it didn't come from my daughter," said her 73-year-old mother, who didn't want to be identified. "I knew right away something was very, very wrong."
Another strange clue came about 30 hours after McHone disappeared, when a police search of her phone location showed that the phone pinged off a cell tower in Indio.
She used to live in Southern California with family. But family members aren't sure how she would have gotten to Southern California from Washington in such a short time.
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A police search of flight information showed she hadn't boarded a plane to the Palm Springs area and she doesn't own a car.
"At first we thought she had just returned home," said John Greenland, a family friend.
Family members have posted missing persons posters throughout the Palm Desert and visited women's shelters, but nobody has seen or heard from her.
She had been reported being seen at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage on April 21, and at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission as late as April 22, Port Townsend police said.
She is described as 5 foot 7, weighs 125 pounds, has blonde hair and brown eyes. The family says she has abscessed teeth that may be affecting her judgment.
The family has set up a Gofundme site to raise money for a private investigator.
Anyone with information was asked to call the Port Townsend Police Department at 360-385-2322 or 911.
