Authorities in Colorado are investigating the disappearances of two women within a few weeks of each other from a popular resort area.
Melissa Whitsitt, 34, was reported missing on August 13 after failing to report to work at a Winter Park resort, according to local police. She was last seen on Woodspur Lane that same day.
Her phone was used by an “unknown male” to make calls from Denver before being powered off. Her debit card remains untouched.
In an unrelated incident, Svetlana Ustimenko, 55, vanished in late July near the Deadhorse Trailhead area of the Arapaho National Forest in Fraser, Co. Her rented 2022 white Nissan Sentra, bearing Louisiana plates, was discovered at the Trailhead. The car, due to be returned on August 10, was located, sparking concern for her safety.
Although the authorities maintain that these cases are isolated and pose no threat to the community, the situation has prompted worry.
Whitsitt’s parents, who traveled from Tennessee, are actively engaged in the search for their daughter.
Meanwhile, the exhaustive search for Ustimenko was called off due to a lack of leads, despite employing drones, dogs, and volunteers in the effort. Ustimenko, recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, had sought solace in the Colorado mountains.
The Winter Park Police Department is urging anyone with information to come forward.
Fraser and Winter Park are both located in Colorado’s Grand County, a popular destination with hiking trails, lakes and rivers, ski towns, and hot springs.
