The following information was published on the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:
UPDATE 01-01-21 @ 5:35 pm:
On 01-01-21 Sheriff’s Deputies, Mendocino County Search & Rescue volunteers, South Coast Volunteer Fire Department personnel and Redwood Coast Fire Department personnel continued the search for Kerry Ann Bonanno on her property.
Today’s search consisted of approximately 34 people and 2 specially trained dogs.
During a search of a steep wooded ravine on the property, searchers located Bonanno who was deceased.
A coroner’s investigation has been initiated to determine the cause, mode and manner of death which is expected to take several weeks to determine due to BA/Toxicology testing (normal protocol).
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the public safety agencies and community members who assisted during the search.
UPDATE 12-31-20 @ 4:50 PM:
The search efforts on 12-30-20 & 12-31-20 to locate Kerry Ann Bonanno have been unsuccessful.
The Sheriff’s Office is planning to resume search efforts again tomorrow (01-01-21) with Search & Rescue resources.
Anyone that has information on Kerry Ann Bonanno’s current whereabouts is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office by calling 707-463-4086.
ORIGINAL POST ON 12-31-20:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Incident Number: 2020-31614
Crime/Incident:Missing Person Adult – Search & Rescue
Location: 37000 block of Old Stage Road in Gualala, CA
Date of Incident: 12-30-2020
Time: 5:30 PM
Victim(s): Kerry Ann Bonanno (69 year-old from Gualala, CA)
Suspect(s): N/A
Written By: Sergeant J. D’Orazio
Synopsis: On 12-30-2020 at about 5:30 PM, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a missing person situation in the 37000 block of Old Stage Road in Gualala, California.
Upon arrival Deputies learned several members of the community, family and South Coast Fire Department personnel were searching the area for Kerry Bonanno.
During their investigation, Deputies learned Bonanno had telephoned family/friend and said she was walking away from her home into the woods as she was despondent.
Deputies searched the area during the night but were unable to find Bonanno.
Bonanno is described as being a white female adult, standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds. Bonanno has blonde hair, blue eyes and it is unknown what clothing Bonanno was wearing when she walked away from her residence.
This investigation is ongoing at this time and anyone with information about Bonanno’s current whereabouts is urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office by calling 707-463-4086.
The Sheriff’s Office will be deploying Mendocino County Search & Rescue resources for a further search during the morning of 12-31-2020 to include a bloodhound tracking dog to aid in the search.
Further updates will be posted via press release and on the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MendocinoSheriff) as they become available.
Sheriff Matthew C. Kendall would like to thank the Mendocino County Search & Rescue volunteers for their continued support and dedication to life saving missions of this nature.
