Body of Stoddard County woman missing after Christmas Eve crash found in Arkansas

DEXTER, Mo. -- The body of 49-year-old Shirley Stratton, the Bernie, Mo., woman who was caught in the swift rising waters alongside Route U near Powe, Mo., on Christmas Eve, was found along the bank of the St. Francis River in Clay County, Ark., on Monday, the Daily Statesman newspaper reported.

Authorities and family members identified the body as Stratton's.

According to Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner, two men who were fishing along the banks of the St. Francis on Monday discovered the body among some logs against the river bank.

Although the body had been in the water for nearly five months, clothing and jewelry were identified as Stratton's.

Stratton was caught in the rushing waters in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve after her vehicle reportedly hydroplaned into the ditch on the south side of Route U. It was reported at the time that two men traveling behind her on the highway stopped and worked to rescue her from her car, but the strong current drew her under.

A search ensued and members of the Missouri State Water Patrol and the Missouri State Highway Patrol remained in the area for several weeks, wading and floating the frigid waters as they searched for any sign of the missing woman. It was assumed after weeks of searching that Stratton had been carried into the waters of the St. Francis River. Those suspicions were confirmed Monday when her body was located in Clay County.

Family members, including Stratton's husband, John Wayne Stratton, walked the ditch banks and rode all-terrain vehicles for several days following the accident in search of any sign of Shirley Stratton. A shoe belonging to the missing woman was found early in the search efforts. According to Hefner, the match to that shoe was found on the body Monday.