Elderly woman missing since Sunday found dead in woods

The body of an elderly woman who had been missing since Sunday has been found in a wooded area in Stittsville.

Nelliya Karbisheva, 82, was last seen around noon Sunday walking her small white poodle near Horseshoe Crescent in Stittsville.

She may also have been spotted at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital, about a two-and-a-half-hour walk from the other site, police said.

Police searchers found Karbisheva's body early Thursday afternoon. No foul play is suspected.

The dog was found alive and safe by her side.

Karbisheva was being treated for "a form of dementia," said Ottawa Police Service Insp. Robert Drummond. She had previously disappeared in April, police said, but was found unharmed.

This week, police had been sweeping the area on foot and from above with the help of OPP drones, and residents were asked to check sheds and backyards for the missing woman.

They had also set up a command post on the northern end of Main Street in Stittsville.

An 'avid walker'

Karbisheva's body was eventually discovered "more or less 10 kilometres" from her home, Ottawa Police Service Const. Marc Soucy said Thursday.

"She was an avid walker, so we knew that the distance could be a big area to search," Soucy said. "We knew that from the beginning."

Neighbours told CBC News that Karbisheva lived on Horseshoe Crescent with her family. 

"We'd say hello to her on the street, She'd say hello back … she didn't speak English," said Ralph Swinwood, who lives nearby.

"We're going to miss her. Just knowing she's not there anymore is going to be a sad thing."