Katherine Truitt

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Alameda Police Department Ca (CA)

Missing From:

Alameda, California

Summary:

Katherine Anne Truitt was a 37-year-old Alameda resident who disappeared on January 6, 2010, after leaving her home to hike at McClure's Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. Her tan 2003 Ford Ranger was found at the beach parking lot three days later with two of her three dogs inside and one leashed nearby. Her body has never been found, and authorities believe she likely encountered a hiking mishap while on the remote beach.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

Truitt was last seen by her roommate at their residence in Alameda, California on January 6, 2010. She has never been heard from again. On January 9, her tan 2003 Ford Ranger pickup truck with a bed liner and the California license plate number 7C23799 was found by federal park rangers at McClure's Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore in Marin County, California. Two of her dogs were inside the truck; a third was leashed to a rock nearby. Truitt, an avid hiker, has gone on many day trips to Point Reyes and is very familiar with the area. Her truck was still there the next day, which led the rangers to begin a search for its owner. McClure's Beach has rough water and parts of it are only safely accessed during low tide. Tracker dogs traced Truitt's scent to a trail leading to the beach, but no further.

Additional Details:

Foul play is not suspected in her case; authorities believe she got into a mishap while hiking at the park. The search for Ms. Truitt expanded on Sunday and Monday. About 80 people were involved in the effort, including members of the US Coast Guard, the Marin County Urban Search and Rescue team, and members of Search and Rescue teams from around the Bay Area. The Marin County Sheriff's Department released a statement that despite the intensive search in the McClure's Beach area, Ms. Truitt has not been located, and "The search is now taking a different direction, with investigators now looking at phone records, computer records, etc. in an effort to glean any information that might be helpful in locating Ms. Truitt. In addition, rangers from the National Park Service are working in collaboration with the Alameda Police Department on this case." Truitt is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and worked as a pastry chef in various restaurants before she injured her neck on the job and was left disabled. She took walks as a way of controlling her chronic pain, took classes in computer graphics, and taught art to children. Her body has never been found.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 25, 2026