ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 23, 2022
A Massachusetts woman who disappeared during a weekend hike in New Hampshire was found dead Wednesday on what would have been her 20th birthday. Emily Sotelo, of Westford, Mass., had planned to hike three peaks in the White Mountains on Sunday. Sotelo’s body was found on the northwest side of Mount Lafayette in Franconia at 11:15 a.m. Officials said Sotelo was close to reaching her goal of hiking New Hampshire’s 48 peaks above 4,000 feet before she turned 20 but was woefully unprepared for the deep snow and high winds on Sunday. She was wearing a light jacket, hiking sneakers and exercise pants over long underwear.