As the "woman in black" mystery is solved, here is a look at her journey, her identity and the social media frenzy around her.



The mystery of a woman dressed in black, who wandered across US states and captivated the attention of social media, has finally been solved.
Wearing flowing robes, the "woman in black" was spotted for the past two months strolling along highways in the US Southeast and Midwest.
This week, as she arrived in Winchester, Virginia, she was surrounded by a group of about 50 curious people and police intervened.
Here is what is known about her:
:: ARMY VETERAN
Police did not release her name but she is thought to be Elizabeth Poles, 56, who used to live in Georgia.
Ms Poles is a US Army veteran, mother of two children and a widow from Motts, Alabama.
She had been receiving treatment at Veterans Affairs hospitals to deal with the deaths of her husband in 2008 and her father in 2009, her brother Raymond said.
:: 'LEFT ALONE'
Winchester police took the woman to an undisclosed location and fed her after she was surrounded.
They said she intends to stay in Virginia.
Winchester police asked on Twitter: 'Respect Her Privacy'
A statement by the Winchester Police Department asked local residents to "respect her privacy if you see her in the area.
"She has expressed to officers that she wants to be left alone and is asking that the public respect her wishes." 
:: SOCIAL MEDIA
A Facebook page tracked her walking with a bag and stick in hand.
It asked: "Have you seen the mysterious woman/women in black drifting through your area? We want to know! Where is she headed? What's her mission?"
The page kept gaining followers even after the mystery was solved, with over 73,000 liking the page.
Twitter users posted photos under the hashtag #WomanInBlack.
:: HER JOURNEY
According to her brother, Ms Poles recently began to wander for months at a time.
She is believed to have walked for nearly 850 miles (1,400-km) on the journey from Ranger, Georgia, to Winchester.
The Washington Post said she attracted the attention of locals wherever she went, with some offering her food or shelter, and trying to talk to her. 
She reportedly turned down the offers.

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