Questions remain after body of young lady found in Yellow River
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - Investigators are closer to identifying the body found in the Yellow River over the weekend after an autopsy Tuesday.
Officials said a fisherman found the body Saturday about a quarter mile south of Rocky Plains Road.
"I'm never up on this side of the river, but a friend told me the fish were good, so I decided to check it out," Ellis Campbell said. "I went slower on the way back in and that's when I saw something."
Campbell said he couldn't tell exactly what was floating in the river, so he got closer.
"I thought maybe it's a deer, but then I saw a heel so I thought maybe it's a mannequin," Campbell said. "But when I got really close, I knew it wasn't a mannequin."
Tuesday, the body still had not been identified, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab said the body is that of a girl or young lady, possibly African American or bi-racial, between the ages of 12 and 17.
"It’s heartbreaking, but I guess I was meant to be there because with all the rain who knows where it would have ended up," Campbell said.
Investigators said there are no apparent identifying scars, marks or tattoos on the body.
The cause and manner of death are still undetermined.
"I hope they find out who this person is so she can get the burial she deserves," Campbell said.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who may have information to call 678-898-0658 or 678-898-0506.