The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is seeking anyone who may be able to help them put a name with human remains discovered in Banks County in early 2017.
On Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, a skeleton was discovered in a wooded area near New Salem United Methodist Church, at 2170 Ga. 59, Commerce. The body’s location was one mile south of Exit 154 on Interstate 85, which is the Toccoa/Ga. 63/Martin Bridge Road exit.
A forensic anthropological examination estimates the remains to be of an African American female, approximately 30-44 years old, standing 4-foot-9 to 5-foot-6.
The date of death is estimated to be as much as four years prior to the time the remains were discovered, according to GBI.
Crime scene investigators recovered a metal ring and a butterfly necklace charm, as well as blue, purple and grey fabrics.
New information in the case as of Wednesday includes:
- A GBI forensic artist has completed a skull reconstruction and sketch;
- A forensic anthropologist cited an ancestry of “probable black”, and additional traits that are frequently observed in individuals of “Hispanic origin”, according to GBI;
- The University of North Texas Center for Human Identification has obtained a DNA profile from the submitted bone sample and that DNA profile has been entered into CODIS, as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety’s State DNA Index System.
Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the GBI Athens office at (706) 552-2309, or Banks County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 677-2248. Information also may be submitted online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/webform/submit-tips-online.
