A 77-year-old Freeport, Ill., woman was found dead at the end of a search for her in the Town of Argyle Saturday evening.

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department was informed Saturday that an elderly woman from Freeport had been missing since Friday and believed to be headed to Superior.

A vehicle that fit the description of the missing woman was sighted off Old Q Road in the Town of Argyle Saturday around 6:15 p.m.

After a search of the area the body of Mary T. Scudder was found about 30 feet from her car in some trees and bushes.

Scudder was pronounced dead at the scene by Lafayette County Deputy Coroner Rudy Gebhardt. The Sheriff’s Department reported that the initial investigation showed that exposure to Saturday’s cold was believed to be a contributing factor to her death.

An autopsy is being planned, according to the Sheriff’s Departrment.

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, Argyle and Darlington police, the Argyle–Adams and Blanchardville fire departments, Argyle EMS, and Monroe Police Department K-9 teams assisted in the search.