Missing motorcyclist drove off cliff
, Associated Press
FORT ROSS — The body of a Santa Rosa female motorcyclist who was missing for more than a week was found partway down an 800-foot sea cliff, and police say they believe she committed suicide.
Melinda Moore's helmet and gloves were found at the edge of the cliff in Fort Ross in Sonoma County, police said.
"We're looking at this as an apparent suicide," Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Steve Bair said.
Motorcyclists and rescue workers had searched for Moore since she was last seen Sept. 19.
Her body was found Wednesday on an outcropping, and her motorcycle was smashed on a rocky beach.
Her fiance had offered a
$5,000 reward for information on her whereabouts.
Moore, a saleswoman at a BMW dealership, never returned home after leaving last Monday for community
college classes.
Friends said the woman, known as "Big Red" for her red hair, was depressed because of health issues and difficulties with school. They said she was also involved a lawsuit stemming from a motorcycle crash that broke both of her arms.