SALT LAKE CITY — The body of Erin Valenti, a Utah tech entrepreneur who has been missing since Monday in the San Jose, California, area, was found on Saturday, according to sources.
San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia said, via email, that police are conducting “a death investigation” after discovering a body Saturday in the back of a car in the 6500 block of Bose Lane in San Jose.
Several friends of Valenti’s confirmed that the body is Valenti and was found in the back of a car rented in her name.
Valenti’s family released the following statement Saturday evening:
“Erin has been found. Please call off the search. We all greatly appreciate the effort and support people have provided. The family will release more information as they are able to.”
The 33-year-old Valenti was the CEO of Utah-based Tinker Ventures, a company that develops web and smartphone applications.
Silicon Slopes/Utah Tech Council Executive Director Clint Betts described Valenti as a “force for good” in the Utah tech community.
“Erin was a such a force for good,” Betts said in a statement. “It’s hard to imagine the Silicon Slopes community without her in it. Our hearts go out to her husband and family during this unimaginable time. We are devastated.”
In a Wednesday Facebook post, Valenti’s husband, Harrison Weinstein, wrote that she had been missing since Monday night and was last seen in Palo Alto Monday afternoon and was wearing “torn jeans and a white T-shirt.”
”She was driving from Palo Alto to San Jose, but never returned her rental car or made it on to her flight home to Utah,” Weinstein wrote. “Her phone has been off since Monday night. If you have seen or heard from her please let me know. She was last driving a gray Nissan Murano with CA plates: 8LUD641.”
Valenti was scheduled to receive an award at an event Wednesday hosted by Utah-based Women Tech Council but never appeared at the event in Salt Lake City, according to organizers.
Police said the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office will determine the manner and cause of death and have not released any further details on the incident.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Contributing: Garna Mejia