Missing California Woman Found Dead Inside Van

A California woman, who went missing earlier this week, was found dead inside a van, the police said Thursday.

The 48-year-old was last seen driving a white van belonging to a Reno business. Kathleen "Kathy" Griffin, 48, was reported missing after she took a van with Junkee written on the side. The number plate on the van was reported to be: NV Plates: 635N64.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), she was spotted in the Truckee area on Jan. 25. Deputies located her body after a CHP officer asked for help investigating a suspicious van near Keddie in the area of Highway 70 and Old Highway.

Authorities linked the van to Griffin, and opened it to find a small fire in the rear compartment. After the flames were doused, authorities found her dead Thursday afternoon, ABC 10 reported.

No foul play is suspected, but the cause of the fire and her death are still under investigation, authorities said. A complete autopsy will be done by the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office to determine the exact cause of death.

"We would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Kathleen and will do everything we can to help support them through this difficult time," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Authorities also said Griffin might have been suffering from a mental episode and experiencing confusion or loss of reality.

Earlier, the police had released images of Griffin, asking the public to help locate her. She was described as a woman in her late 40s with dark brown hair, brown eyes, weighs about 110 pounds and approximately 5-feet tall. Authorities said she has numerous tattoos, which may help identify her.