DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The search for a 79-year-old DeKalb County woman who has dementia has come to a tragic end.
The family of Ernestine Merritt, known affectionately as Erni, confirmed to Channel 2’s Tom Jones that she was found deceased on Wednesday evening.
[RELATED: Missing DeKalb woman thought she was going to church, now her church is looking for her]
She was found in the woods about 0.04 miles, or 211 feet, from her home.
Police told the family one of their drones located her body.
The family says they are happy that she has been found, but heartbroken that she won’t be coming home alive.
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Merritt vanished around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday when she walked out of her house and started heading to Greenforest Community Baptist Church.
In the following days, Jones joined members of her church as they searched for their friend in the woods where she was ultimately found.
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