After 4 Months, Final Wash. Mudslide Victim Found

Four months after a devastating mudslide killed 43 people in Snohomish County, Wash., the official death toll remains at 42—but that will soon change, because yesterday morning rescue workers found what they believe to be the body of the final victim. Molly "Kris" Regelbrugge was found in an area where her family's belongings had previously been located; crews eventually found Regelbrugge in her home's garage, under more than 18 feet of debris, KING 5 reports. The body of her husband, a Navy veteran, had been found days after the disaster, about 100 yards from where his wife's body was eventually found, the Seattle Times reports.

"I’m humbled and honored that we are able return Kris to her family," said the sheriff in a statement yesterday, according to the Washington Post. No survivors were found after the day of the mudslide, but workers kept looking for bodies for more than a month before the active search was called off in late April. At that point, two victims remained missing, but some workers continued searching and Steve Hadaway's body was found in May. The medical examiner must officially identify Regelbrugge before the death toll will be updated to 43. (More mudslide stories.)