An elderly woman who went missing for eight weeks before her body was found likely died “within a day or so”, a coroner’s report has revealed.

85-year-old Shirley Warrington went missing on July 10, 2021 after going for a drive with her husband.

She was not found until September 6. Her husband died two days before she was found.

Forensic Pathologist Dr Anderson did an autopsy and found that Shirley died from probable hypothermia/environmental exposure in a person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, obstructive lung disease, and possible dementia.

Shirley had no identifiable injuries.

Dr Anderson considered that Mrs Warrington was likely to have died within a day or so of being reported missing.

There was no concerning toxicology.

Coroner Heather McKenzie said “there was nothing suspicious or relevantly concerning about the circumstances in which Mrs Warrington left the car: for example, she was not a rest home or hospital resident who left a supervisory premises unnoticed and was not ejected from the car such to suffer injuries.

Mr and Mrs Warrington were out driving when she left the car which appears to have been of her own volition.