Search for missing Oregon mom continues on foot, by boat and from the air

Jennifer Huston has now been missing for nearly six days after stopping at Rite Aid to buy Gatorade, trail mix and sleeping pills. (Photo: KPTV)



NEWBERG, Oregon (KPTV) -- Search and rescue teams combed backcountry roads Wednesday in hopes of finding clues that may lead them to missing Dundee mother Jennifer Huston.

Separately, at least two helicopter searches took place, and a Cessna plane was also expected to join in the volunteer search effort.

One private helicopter launched from the Hillsboro Airport around 10:45 a.m. Search organizers said the helicopter crews looked around Parrot Mountain, Bald Peak, Hagg Lake and the Willamette River between Champoeg Park and Wheatland Ferry.

On the ground, Yamhill County Sheriff's Office deputies have been keeping an eye out for Huston throughout this week, but they performed a more methodical search Wednesday. Captain Tim Svenson said no one knows the roads surrounding Dundee and Newberg better than his deputies.

Those deputies looked along the Willamette River for any trace of Huston's SUV.

"We would most likely see their tire tracks coming into the water, so we'd be checking the bank for that," said Deputy David Mills, from the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.



Despite all the efforts on Wednesday, deputies reported they turned up no new leads. An updated bulletin has been sent to law enforcement agencies in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California and Alaska.

The current timeline of Huston's last known activities had her leaving home last Thursday evening at 5:45 p.m., and going to the Oregon First Community Credit Union in Newberg about three miles away. She withdrew less than $100 from the credit union ATM.

From 6:10 p.m. to 6:17 p.m., she went to Rite Aid, where she purchased Gatorade, trail mix and over-the-counter sleeping pills. The amount of sleeping pills she purchased would not be enough for a lethal dose.

At 6:20 p.m., she went to get gas at the nearby Circle K gas station on Portland Road, spending less than $40 at the gas station, leading police to believe she was topping off the tank.

At 6:35 p.m., Huston's cell phone signal went dead.

Police said the expected travel range of Huston's SUV on a full tank of gasoline would be 300 to 350 miles. Detectives said she had several favorite places she would visit with her family within that range of Newberg, but did not elaborate on specific locations.

With no new information surfacing, detectives continue to treat this as a missing person's case with no known criminal element or threat to the public.

"People really want us to go at the husband, some pretty aggressively," said Capt. Jeff Kosmicki, of the Newberg-Dundee Police Department. "It's a normal process of the investigation. We want to eliminate him. He has done nothing but cooperate with us; (and) as a matter of fact, during the polygraph, he passed with what I would say are flying colors."

Law enforcement plans to conduct aerial searches that cover the west and central sections of Yamhill County on Thursday and Friday.

Huston is 5'7" with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing black and pink Nike shoes and black yoga pants. She drives a dark green 1999 Lexus LX 470 with Oregon plates WXH 011.

The SUV had a U-shaped crack in the windshield on the passenger side and a Yakima ski rack mounted on the roof.

Any tips or leads should be referred to the Newberg-Dundee Police Department by calling 503-537-1246.