Body Of Man Who Went Missing In Snowstorm Found; Family Says 'Louisa County Let Him Freeze To Death'

KEY POINTS

Whaley last texted his family Monday to tell them he got lost in a snowstorm.
He vanished in an area where Spotsylvania, Louisa and Hanover Counties meet
His truck was found in Hanover County but his last location was in Louisa County

The body of a Virginia man who went missing in a snowstorm Monday night has been found. Jacob Whaley's family has revealed that a civilian search party managed to locate his remains.

Jacob, hailing from Louisa County in Virginia, was last heard Monday when his truck went into a ditch on his way home during the snowstorm. He reportedly told his family that he would walk home, reported 8 News.

However, around 8:45 p.m, the family got a text from Jacob that read that he was lost before his phone died. The family immediately alerted Louisa County Sheriff’s Office after they lost contact with Jacob.

Though a search was launched, there was no sight of Jacob. Police later found his car in Hanover County near the boundary with Spotsylvania, but he was nowhere in sight.

Jacob's mother Shannon Whaley said her son’s body was found near Greens Corner Road, miles away from their home. She alleged that the sheriff's office told her they wouldn't send anyone to look for him as his truck was found in Hanover County.

Reports said Jacob vanished in an area where three counties, viz., Spotsylvania, Louisa and Hanover, meet. Though a tracking service located Jacob's last location as Louisa County, his truck was found in Hanover County. But, it was Spotsylvania County that reported him missing.

Jacob's sister Angela Whaley blamed Louisa County for "letting him freeze to death." "Because of their refusal to do their jobs, my parents have to bury another kid," Angela Whaley told the news outlet.

However, Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office claimed that they met with the Whaley family Wednesday evening to take a "courtesy report." It said "there was no jurisdictional grounds for us to investigate" based on the evidence at the time.

They added that deputies were sent to search Mt. Olive Road where Jacob Whaley’s truck was found on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but no one could find him.

According to reports, the snowstorm that hit the South and Mid-Atlantic regions claimed the lives of five people. Hundreds were stranded. In Virginia, traffic went haywire, leaving many drivers stranded on the I-95 south of Washington, D.C., for over 10 hours.