Locust Grove man charged with murder after woman's body found near Georgia creek

 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Locust Grove man for the murder of a woman found dead near a creek over the weekend.

Joseph Shannon Mays, 34, is charged with malice murder in connection with the death of 37-year-old Ringgold resident Jamie Lauren Wiley.

The backstory:

On the morning of Jan. 18, officials say a person walking near Emberson Drive in Ringgold discovered Wiley's body in an embankment near South Chickamauga Creek.

The person called the Ringgold Police Department, who asked the GBI to help them with the investigation.

For days, Wiley's body remained unidentified, and police shared a picture of her monkey tattoo in the hopes that someone knew who she was.

What we know:

During the autopsy, the GBI was able to use fingerprints to identify the body as Wiley.

On Monday afternoon, the GBI arrested and charged Mays.

He is now in custody at the Catoosa County Jail without bond.

What they're saying:

"The GBI and the Ringgold Police Department would like to thank the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI Dalton for their help in this investigation. Thank you also to the Catoosa County Coroner’s Office and the Catoosa County Fire Department for keeping everyone safe during the crime scene processing and for the dignified recovery of Ms. Wiley’s body."

What you can do:

If you have any information about the case, call the Ringgold Police Department at (706) 935-3066 or 1-800-597-8477.

The Source: Information for this story was taken from a release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

GeorgiaCrime and Public SafetyNews