Woman found dead was looking for cat

EDGEWOOD, Ind. (WISH) - Authorities have identified the woman found dead in a Madison County swimming pool early Monday morning.

Police say family members reported 83-year-old Wilma Ewing of Anderson missing around 12:30 a.m. They’d last seen her around 6 Sunday evening.

Family members said they believe Ms. Ewing was looking for a lost cat.

Police say family members found her car on the 500 block of Winding Way in Edgewood, and then called police at 12:30 a.m.

Police found her body in the backyard swimming pool of an abandoned home at 509 Center Way in Edgewood around 1 a.m. She was found a couple blocks from her car.

Police say they don’t suspect foul play in her death, calling her death an apparent drowning.

Detective Joel Sandefur, with the Anderson Police Department, said, “It’s a tragic incident. A lot of times we see this more often with small children, but it can happen with the elderly, and unfortunately it does happen.”

Chuck Morgan lives across the street from where Ewing was found. He said the home had been unoccupied for a couple years. Morgan said, “It’s tragic. Our prayers go out to the family.”

Police say they're not sure why Ewing was in that particular backyard.

They say an autopsy will reveal the official cause of death or any medical conditions Ewing may have had.