Katharina Buczek
Still, the call between Fauna and her father eventually ended, and she was later caught on camera while shopping at a Fred Meyers superstore located in Grants Pass. While inside, she bought a wide range of items– including shampoo, conditioner, socks, activewear clothing, beer, chips, and a deli sandwich.
Fauna then presumably traveled back to the Super 8 and spent the night in her hotel room because at 8:35 a.m. on June 29, she checked out of the hotel. Then, she packed her bags in her car and set out back on the road.
At around 11:45 a.m., Fauna stopped at Umpqua Bank in Rogue River, Oregon, to withdraw two hundred dollars in cash. Then, just over forty-five minutes later, she was caught on camera shopping at a Big 5 Sporting Goods location in Grants Pass, Oregon.
While there, she purchased some more clothing items, such as tennis shoes and a sports bra. In addition, Fauna also bought camping gear, including a lantern and flashlights.
Then, by 2:35 p.m., Fauna phoned a small motel named Weasku Inn– located on the Rogue River– and made a reservation for the evening. Her father reportedly told her to rent a cabin as opposed to a room so that way she would be more comfortable.
And after getting her accommodations in order, Fauna headed out to shop one last time. She visited the Gooseberries grocery store, located in Grants Pass, to pick up iced coffee cans, tuna, and a smoothie.
Tragically, though, that was the final time Fauna’s credit card was ever used. She did not show up for her reservation at the Weasku Inn that evening and has never been heard from by her family again.
After two days of trying to reach his daughter and failing, Fauna’s father grew frantic and filed a missing person’s report with the Josephine Cunty Sheriff’s Office on July 1, 2020.
But, it was not until September 30, 2020, that Fauna’s car was found. She had driven a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was dark blue with an Oregon license plate 339EYB. The vehicle was discovered locked and abandoned in a rural region on Reuben Mountain Road, which was just a few miles away from Gave Creek Boat Landing. Authorities believed that the car had been left sitting there for at least a month.
The police then launched a widespread search of the area using both cadaver dogs and search teams. But, the search yielded no evidence of foul play or a crime at all.
So, the DNA evidence and fingerprints in Fauna’s vehicle were not deemed a high priority for processing. Her personal belongings, such as her cell phone and laptop, were also left at home in Dexter, Oregon. While on the road, Fauna had been using a burner cell phone to keep in touch with her father. Her bank account also showed no activity past its use at the Gooseberries grocery store on June 29, 2020.
