Body of Missing Woman Discovered on Kent Island

UPDATE (6:15 p.m.)—The body of Robin Pope, who had been missing since March 1, was discovered along the shoreline of Kent Island on Saturday, authorities said.

Pope's friends and family had been searching for her for nearly a month when news came of her death. Pope's daughter Rachel works at the Westfield Annapolis mall, and spread word about her mother's disappeareance with a missing person's flier on the side of her vendor's stall.

An autopsy confirmed the identity of the body as Pope, 51, of Stevensville, according to a statement from the Maryland State Police.

The cause and manner of her death were not identified, police said. The investigation will be continued by forensic pathologists at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Pope was last seen on the night of March 1 at the home of her husband, Wayne Pope, in Stevensville. The couple had been separated since December 2012.

Wayne Pope told police that his wife came to pick up some things, and he left the house. When he returned on March 2, he found Pope's car was still in the driveway, but she was not at the home. 

Neighbors searched the area and found her Great Dane dead a few hundred yards away from the home. An exact cause of death for the dog has not been determined.

In the weeks that followed, hundreds of people joined in the search for Pope. Missing persons fliers were posted from Kent Island to Broadneck and Annapolis. 

Anyone with information about Pope is urged to contact Maryland State Police at 410-758-1101. 

CORRECTION: This story was updated to reflect that the exact cause of the dog's death has not been determined. Patch regrets the error.