Body found amid search for missing Indigenous woman in Riverside County

CALIMESA, Calif. (KABC) -- Days after a Feather Alert was issued for a missing Riverside County woman, friends and family believe they found her body after organizing their own search.

Authorities have not confirmed that the body found Sunday morning near the 10 Freeway and Wildwood Canyon Road is Amy Porter.

But two cousins of Porter who helped organize the search and saw the body say they believe it is her.

"Unfortunately we were the ones to have to find her. But we know we found our loved one," said Porter's cousin Angelica Lyons.

The 43-year-old Porter, who is affiliated with the Morongo tribe, was last seen on Sept. 14 in Lake Elsinore.

Her friends and family were frustrated with the pace of the law enforcement investigation and organized their own search effort on Sunday, finding the body in a ravine around 9 a.m.

Her family suspects her death was caused by foul play. Authorities have not made an arrest.

A Feather Alert, created by state law in 2022, is issued by the CHP when an Indigenous person goes missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances. It is intended as a tool to help law enforcement and the public in the search.