Sweetwater County authorities: Dead body on White Mountain matches description of missing woman

ROCK SPRINGS (WNE) — A deceased woman matching the physical description and a vehicle matching details from a March 1 missing person report was found around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 27.

The body was found in a ravine near the crashed car on White Mountain — west of Moses Drive, north of Rock Springs and south of Stassinos Ranch, according to the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.

Public Information Officer Jason Mower of the SCSO told Rocket Miner that while authorities are awaiting final confirmation from Tuesday’s forensic autopsy, they have reason to believe the decedent is Melissa Ann Amadio, 41, of Rock Springs.

Personal effects recovered at the scene further support the preliminary identification of Amadio, Mower added.

Amadio was reported missing to the Rock Springs Police Department on March 1. At the time, she had last been seen on Wednesday, February 26.

Mower said the cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

“However, the injuries appear consistent with a car crash, and there is currently no evidence of foul play,” Mower said. “I cannot speculate on her state of mind at the time, whether the crash was accidental or intentional.”

Mower explained that evidence at the scene indicates the vehicle veered off a steep embankment near the top of White Mountain, rolled multiple times, and came to rest about three-quarters of the way down, wedged in a steep ravine.

The body, believed to have been ejected during the crash, was recovered less than 50 yards from the vehicle. The crash site was not easily visible from the top or base of the mountain.

This story was published on May 3, 2025.