Search for 80-year-old Shirley Love ends in tragedy

The search for Shirley Love has ended tragically with the 80-year-old woman's death.

The Hamilton Police Service is sad to inform you that we have the unfortunate news to let you know that we've located Shirley Love deceased," said Chief Frank Bergen of the Hamilton police.

There were cries from the crowd as Bergen made the announcement at Glendale Golf Club, where police have stationed their command post since Tuesday.

Love's body was discovered around 11 a.m. in the area of the King's Forest Golf Course, off Greenhill Avenue. Police declined to provide further details out of respect for the family.

What has been remarkable is well over 300 of our community members have come to support the Hamilton police," Bergen said. This is what a community does."

Bergen said the family asked him to express their gratitude to the many community members that have come out," and are asking for privacy as they grieve.

Along with police, the hundreds of volunteers, including Love's family, spent nearly three days searching for Love, who disappeared after walking away from her Kings Forest Manor apartment on Mount Albion Road around 2 p.m. on Tuesday. She had dementia.

As the days wore on, her family was increasingly desperate for answers, even offering a $7,500 reward to find her.

Love's niece, Jody Nairn, said she wanted to thank everyone who helped look for her aunt, including members of the public, police and the fire department.

We couldn't do it without them," she said. It goes to show you we are a strong community and stand together when we need to."

The family is deeply saddened" by Love's death but are also comforted in knowing she was found.

Police deployed a significant amount of resources in their search, which began in the area immediately around Glendale Golf Club and continued to expand; That included extensive ground searches, the canine unit and drones. Police had asked residents to check sheds, decks, under tarps, in bushes and anywhere else someone could hide.

Sgt. Scott Galbraith, who headed up the search and rescue team, said officers used GPS technology to track areas searched, in this case a radius of 2.4 kilometres. The data is then downloaded and overlaid on a map.

We have been out here since day one ... and we've directed our officers to certain areas that we feel would be high-risk areas," he said.

Galbraith said everyone pulled together," including mounted police, a marine unit to search ponds, streams and other bodies of water, an emergency response unit, and officers from the police training program. Hamilton firefighters and volunteers from Mohawk College also supported the search.

Police never asked for volunteers to come, but hundreds showed up, many remarking that they couldn't stop thinking about the Hamilton woman and wanted to do anything they could to help.

She was such a fun-loving person," said longtime friend Rose DeLottinville, speaking from the Glendale parking lot Friday afternoon. She was a great woman to work with. You could count on her for help."

DeLottinville's and Marlene Blair's friendships with Love spanned decades, they said. Both are former DARTS Transit colleagues.

Passengers loved her," Blair said.

Niece Carol Tsilibanis, who had been part of the search party, described her aunt as fun loving" and the life of the party."

She's a lady that's going to be missed by many, many people," she said. She was the best ... There will never be another person like her."

Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com