ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A 23-year-old Asheville woman who was reported missing earlier this month was found dead June 9 in a vacant apartment at Pisgah View Apartments, and police say the death appears to be the result of an overdose.
Rachael Tuck was reported missing June 4 after family members lost contact with her. According to Asheville Police Department spokesperson Rick Rice, a maintenance worker discovered her body June 9 inside a vacant apartment at the complex.
“The missing persons report was filed on June 4th. She was found deceased on June 9th of an apparent overdose,” Rice said.
The investigation remains open and active, police said.
Tuck’s death has drawn widespread attention across Asheville after family members and community advocates shared her missing-person information across social media during a days-long search.
In a statement posted online, Tuck’s mother, Kendra Sieber Tuck, thanked the many people who shared posts, offered tips and prayed for her daughter’s safe return.
“Your kindness and compassion carried us through some of the darkest days of our lives,” she wrote.
Family members said Tuck had struggled with substance abuse but was actively trying to get help. They said she was more than her addiction and should be remembered for the person she was.
“Rachael was not defined by addiction,” her mother wrote. “She was a beautiful soul. She was intelligent, funny, creative, and deeply loved. She was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a person whose life had value and meaning.”
The circumstances surrounding Tuck’s death remain under investigation. In social media posts, family members alleged that people who were with Tuck failed to seek emergency medical assistance after she overdosed. They have called for accountability and a full investigation into the events leading up to her death.
Police have not confirmed those allegations.
Asked whether investigators had determined if Tuck had been moved into the vacant apartment rather than emergency services being contacted, Rice said that information is part of the ongoing investigation.
North Carolina has a Good Samaritan law designed to encourage people to seek help during an overdose by providing limited immunity from certain drug possession and paraphernalia charges for people who call 911 in good faith and request emergency medical assistance. The protections also apply to overdose victims in certain circumstances. The law was enacted to remove fear of prosecution as a barrier to calling for help during a medical emergency.
Tuck’s family said they hope others will learn from their loss and seek immediate medical assistance when someone is experiencing an overdose.
“If someone is overdosing, call 911. Immediately,” her mother wrote. “Do not leave them. Do not move them. Do not let fear outweigh humanity. A life may depend on that decision.”
Her brother, Alex Tuck, remembered his sister as someone who faced significant challenges but left a lasting impression on those who knew her.
“Rachael had the most difficult life I’ve ever known, and she had demons until the very end,” he wrote. “I love her, and so did so many people in her life. She always left a smile on everyone’s face.”
In a post shared this week, Kendra Sieber Tuck described the grief of losing her daughter.
“I used to fear nightmares. Now, sleep is the only place I can escape the nightmare my waking life has become,” she wrote. “Every morning I wake to the same unbearable reality — that I will never again see my child’s sweet face, hear her voice, or hold her in my arms.”
She ended the message with a tribute to her daughter.
“Rachael, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure. You will be remembered with every breath I have left to take, every sunrise I face, and every beat of my heart.”
Police have not announced whether any charges are being considered. Rice said the investigation into Tuck’s death remains active as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
