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This story has been updated with new information from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday.
As another day in the search for missing Redwood City resident Margaret “Elaine” McKinley continued Monday, her friends and family gathered in the parking lot of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve to assist and hold onto hope for her safe return.
“She (McKinley) is strong, she is smart, she is 100% alive,” said her sister Kelley McKinley.
McKinley, 79, was hiking at the preserve in Portola Valley on May 1 with her partner, Kit Durgin, and a friend when she went missing. Since then, several counties have joined the intense search for McKinley, who has dementia. She was last seen wearing a red jacket and black pants on the Lost Trail.
On Tuesday afternoon, San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said the search had morphed into the Limited Continuous Search phase. That phase would continue indefinitely with scaled down resources, according to a Sheriff’s release.
Originally from Texas, McKinley moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in search of more opportunities to learn and advance her career, according to Iris Biblowitz, her best friend.
“She’s extremely skilled and educated, and she wanted to learn,” Biblowitz said.
The two served together in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, from 1968 to 1970. Before retiring, McKinley was vice president of a corporation that manufactures medical equipment such as MRI and PET scan machines. Biblowitz said McKinley was a great boss who always went out of her way to train and support people, especially the working class and the BIPOC community.
“She really wanted to give people who hadn’t had a chance the opportunity to develop,” Biblowitz said.
McKinley has lived in Redwood City for about 45 years. Friends describe her as an experienced hiker and a fast walker.
“All you have to do is look to the left, and she’s gone,” said Linda Hook, a friend and former colleague.
Hook, who worked with McKinley for several years, also described her as someone with a great sense of humor who would always be the “Star of the Meeting.”
“We all love her and we’re really distressed,” Hook added. “She’s just a really good woman.”
Ray Kruck, operations director for San Mateo County Search and Rescue, said crews are conducting exhaustive and methodical searches. About 500 searchers from across Northern and Central California, including sheriff’s offices and search-and-rescue teams, have participated, covering nearly 4,000 cumulative miles on foot and by drone, Kruck said. He added that what appears to be clues to her whereabouts have been discovered, yet authorities have decided not to reveal them to the public until they are verified.
Gretchen Spiker, director of communications for the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, later said the information shared by Kruck about the clues “was inaccurate.”
Durgin could not be reached for a comment.
Kruck urged nearby residents and businesses to share any video footage that could help the search. He said even footage showing no sign of McKinley is valuable because it could help rule out potential paths. The public can submit videos to the sheriff’s office via an online form.
“We’d love the public to still be aware of what’s going on and share anything they know or might be able to add to our search,” Kruck said.
On Monday, about 60 volunteers, six K9 units and drones were assisting with the search, according to Sgt. Philip Hallworth. Volunteers also used chainsaws to access areas with dense vegetation that may not have been fully covered during previous searches, Hallworth said.
As for McKinley’s loved ones, they continue to show up for the search every day, hopeful she will soon be found.
“Now we’re on day five, so maybe her jacket is a little torn and her hair is disheveled, but it’s still Elaine,” Kelley said. “She’s still smart, and she needs to be found.”
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