On the morning of August 16, 2012, a silver four-door Nissan Altima with Washington plates was found abandoned on the Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon. Astoria Police discovered the car at 3:24 a.m., with its emergency lights flashing and the keys still in the ignition. Inside were a purse containing identification for 41-year-old Traci Christine Wirkkala and her dog; Traci herself was not in the vehicle.

Traci, a white female from Naselle, Washington, was 5 feet 5 inches tall, about 150 to 155 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. The Coast Guard deployed a helicopter during an immediate search, and Traci’s dog was released to a family member. The Astoria Police Department opened an investigation and said they were keeping an open mind, noting that similar cases have involved staged disappearances, people walking away from their cars, or suicide. Traci has not been seen or heard from since that morning.

Her family and the communities where she was born and raised remain without answers. Anyone who saw Traci or the silver Altima near the Megler Bridge on August 16, 2012, or who has information about her disappearance, is asked to come forward.