Virginia police: “Woman in Black” wants to be left alone

November 2014
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The mystery “Woman in Black” arrived in Winchester, Virginia on Tuesday night, and now police are asking the public to respect her privacy. They say the woman who was seen walking along roadsides in several U.S. states over the last two months tells them she is from Winchester, and just wants to be left alone.

Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Winchester police were called to the 2400 block of Valley Avenue, where about 50 people had gathered to see the “Woman in Black.” Officers took the woman to an undisclosed location and gave her food and shelter. Police say the woman wants local residents to know she intends to stay in Winchester and will be part of the community, and she is asking that the public respect her request for privacy.

The mysterious woman, dressed from head to toe in black, has been seen walking along roads and highways in several U.S. states over the last couple of months. There is now a

“Where is the Mysterious Woman in Black?” Facebook page dedicated to her 500-mile journey, and a hashtag that’s trending (#womaninblack).

She had been spotted in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

Tricia Lee shot video of her walking along Route 50 in Augusta, West Virginia on Tuesday morning on the final leg of her route to Winchester.

According to

WCYB.com, the “woman in black” is from Alabama. The Sullivan County, Tn. Sheriff’s Office told the TV station the woman is Elizabeth Poles, 56, of Motts, Alabama, and investigators say when she was stopped in the area last month, she told them she was “on a Bible mission and needed a ride to Winchester, Virginia.”

The station also

reported that the woman said she was from an Islamic nation and worked at the Pentagon, but that investigators determined those statements weren’t true.

Meanwhile,

Reuters reported a man claiming to be the woman’s brother also identified her by the same name, saying she’s a U.S. Army veteran with two children who is a widow.