PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Crime Stoppers of Oregon has partnered with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to ask for the public’s help finding Allyson Watterson.
Allyson was last seen with her boyfriend, Benjamin Garland, around noon on December 22 when the two were in the North Plains area. She disappeared sometime between Sunday and Monday. Garland was found sleeping in a resident’s car near Pumpkin Ridge Road on Monday morning. Allyson was reported as missing by Garland’s father 30 hours after she was seen last.
A stolen truck was found in the area where Garland was found Monday, according to investigators. He is facing charges in connection to that, as well as unrelated charges of theft and fraud.
That Friday, most of the search was focused on private property instead of public hiking areas. Earlier in the week, clues were found that led investigators to believe they could narrow the search parties to only trained crews.
That Saturday morning, around 50 trained teams from Multnomah, Clackamas and Columbia counties joined the Washington County Search and Rescue team in North Plains, again in the Pumpkin Ridge area. Teams combed through 600 acres over the past 5 days—some areas were searched twice. However, those clues that kept searchers looking through the week have now been exhausted.
At the end of the fifth day of searching for Allyson Watterson, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press conference that they have suspended the search for the missing 20-year-old.
Since WCSO suspended their search, Allyson’s family has led their own private search along with a candlelight vigil.
Anyone with information on Allyson’s whereabouts or the previous owner of her cell phone is asked to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. She is described as a white, 20-year-old woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She is about 5-foot-7 and 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt, black jeans, white and blue Adidas sneakers and carrying a red backpack.
Crime Stoppers of Oregon is offering a cash reward up to $2,500 for information involving the case. Call 503.823.4357 or submit an anonymous tip online.
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.