Woman found dead in second of two weekend searches

Public searches for two missing Young County women were held over the weekend, with one search ending with a woman found, the other in tragedy for a Graham family. A search led by the Young County Sheriff’s Office began early Sunday afternoon for Cindy Berend, 64, of Chaparral Drive in Graham. Sheriff Travis Babcock said in a Facebook post that Berend went for a walk in the morning, as was her habit, but failed to return. Within hours, first responders were working from a command post set up at Graham Bible Church, on FM 61 across from Fawn Trail. The church volunteered use of its facilities. In the adjacent soccer fields, hundreds of volunteers checked in and began searching around Spivey Hill, Salt Creek and throughout the area. Babcock posted around 10:45 p.m. Sunday to thank searchers and notify the public the search was suspended for the night and would resume in the morning, this time without volunteers. Monday morning, deputies, game wardens, DPS and Graham Fire and volunteer firefighters resumed the search, focused in the area of the FM 61 bridge over Salt Creek. Around 8 a.m., they located Berend’s body. “The discovery of some undisclosed evidence allowed the search area to be focused on Salt Creek,” the sheriff said in a press release. “The search for Cindy Berend is over,” the sheriff posted at 9:59 a.m. Monday “She has been located. Please be in prayer for the family in her passing.” He went on to thank Graham Bible Church, as well as the game wardens, state troopers, firefighters and “all of our responding deputies this morning.” Services for Cynthia “Cindy” Berend are pending at Morrison Funeral Home, morrisonfuneralhome.com. On Saturday, the sheriff’s department led a search in rural Young County for a 44-year-old woman who was last seen at home on White Rose Road. After a search including riders on horseback and ATVs, people on foot, and air searches by helicopter and plane, the woman was located alive. “Special thanks to Kenneth Donnell for spotting her,” the sheriff said.