A woman who was reported missing after failing to show up to meet friends last weekend was found dead inside her car Wednesday morning after it was pulled from a lake in Cherokee County, officials said.

Laura Ann Linden, 65, was reported missing Saturday. A resident of the Lake Arrowhead community, Linden was supposed to attend a dinner party at a neighbor’s home but never arrived, the Cherokee sheriff’s office said.

Investigators asked for help in locating Linden. Late Tuesday, deputies received a tip that a car had possibly crashed into the lake near Peninsula Way.

“A vehicle could not be observed but there was some evidence near the edge of the water that indicated a vehicle had possibly entered the lake,” a sheriff’s office spokesman said.

Deputies and the fire department dive team searched the area Wednesday morning and located Linden’s vehicle.

Foul play is not suspected.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC