Erika Lloyd Missing Walnut Creek mom found dead 8 months after Joshua Tree road trip. Mystery death during pandemic road trip meant to alleviate stress.
A California woman who has been missing since June was found dead not far from her planned destination before disappearing eight months ago while on a road trip destined for Joshua Tree.
The remains of Erika Lloyd, 37, is reported to have been found following a recent Facebook post in which the missing woman’s brother posted of a body being found in the High Desert area on January 31. A medical examination completed this week confirmed the discovered human remains as that of the Lloyd, a mother of a 12-year-old boy according to KTVU.
Lloyd left her home in Walnut Creek, CA. on June 14 for a road trip to Joshua Tree, about a 7-hour drive. She was last seen by her roommates on June 14 at her home in Walnut Creek, when she told them she was meeting people at the national park, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Her family said she had been experiencing a great deal of pandemic-related stress, including the loss of a job and homeschooling her son. Her last contact with her family was on June 16. The same day, her damaged vehicle was found about 19 miles from Joshua Tree National Park, where she had been headed.
Though the vehicle was damaged in multiple places, including the windshield and a back window, investigators did not find evidence of an accident on the highway where the car was found.
Solo road trip meant to alleviate stress of real world
Lloyd’s brother Colin Lloyd posted in a since removed Facebook page to the recovery of the missing woman, said that his sister’s body was found in Wonder Valley, which is just outside Joshua Tree National Park. His post did not mention the condition of the body, and it is not yet known if investigators have determined a cause of death.
‘Remember her, cherish her memory, celebrate moments past, and laugh; she would always make you laugh,’ Colin wrote.
‘Erika adored everyone; she left a bright smile on everyone’s heart; she would remind you of who you truly were and how important and loved you were; she warmed your soul. Let us hold her spirit dearly, and allow it to work through us to serve others (what she would want us to do).’
Lloyd’s family told KESQ the drive was supposed to be a ‘pandemic road trip’ so she could take her mind off things. Lloyd was reportedly having a hard time owning a small business during the coronavirus pandemic, being a single mother to a 12-year-old son and coming to terms with the current state of the world.
