Remains of woman missing since 2018 found in woods near her home, Oregon cops say

The remains of a woman who went missing in 2018 were found, Oregon law enforcement said.

Maria Del Carmen Quintana was last seen that November in Tillamook County, and after she was reported missing, family and volunteers searched for the 59-year-old but eventually “exhausted all available efforts in trying to locate her,” according to an Aug. 27 Facebook post by the sheriff’s office.

In May 2025, partial remains were found in the woods by Quintana’s home, deputies said.

Search dogs were deployed, and the remains were later identified as Quintana, deputies said.

Officers didn’t specify if they believed foul play was involved.

“Our hearts are with Maria’s family as they receive this difficult news,” Tillamook County Sheriff Joshua Brown said. “We are grateful for the tireless efforts of our SAR volunteers, deputies, and community members who never stopped searching. While this may not bring the answers we had hoped for, we hope it provides some measure of closure.”

Tillamook County is about a 70-mile drive west of Portland.

This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Remains of woman missing since 2018 found in woods near her home, Oregon cops say."