UPDATE: Body of missing woman found by family members

Relatives discovered the body of Anette Maki, 51, at 10:24 a.m. Tuesday just as the Racine Sheriff’s office was preparing to resume a search for the Waterford woman who went missing Sunday.

Foul play is not suspected, however, an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Maki’s death continues, according to the sheriff’s department.

After searching for several hours late Monday at the Wadewitz Nature Preserve in Rochester with up to 80 members of area fire and rescue departments and assistance from a rescue helicopter based in Winthrop, Ill., officials suspended the search Monday evening after dark. They were ramping up to resume searching with the help of search and rescue dogs when they learned from Maki’s family members that her body had been found.

According to authorities, her body was found on private land near the nature preserve located at the Rochester/Waterford border.

Sheriff’s deputies and rescue personnel from throughout the area descended on Wadewitz Nature Preserve about 3 p.m. Monday afternoon when the Maki’s son found her car parked in the industrial park adjacent to the nature preserve, according to Lt. Steve Sikora of the sheriff’s department.

At the time of a press briefing – around 5 p.m. Monday – Sikora said he expected the search of the area to continue until the agencies on scene had conducted a good search. However, by 5:30 p.m., at least a handful of departments had been dismissed from the scene.

Maki, of the Town of Waterford, was reported missing by family Sunday evening. She has a history of threatening to harm herself, Sikora said, and officials believe she was “very depressed” and likely suicidal when she went missing. Sikora also said family members suspected she went to the nature preserve because she had gone there in the past when distraught.

See this week’s print edition of the Waterford Post for additional information.

This story was updated Tuesday evening.

View Larger Map