The death of a missing Athens woman whose body was found just outside the town of Tallulah Falls on Sept. 11 was self-inflicted.
That ruling by state medical examiners was announced by the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Friday afternoon.
“The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office has determined that the cause of death was inhalation of superheated gases, thermal injuries, and hydrocodone intoxication and that the manner of death was suicide,” a statement from the sheriff’s office reads.
Sheriff’s office investigators met with family members and discussed the findings before issuing the statement.
“Investigators have met with the medical examiner’s office and spoken with the medical examiner in regard to the results of the autopsy, reviewed the findings of items submitted to the crime lab for analysis, reviewed the reports and records received in response to the 26 search warrants and subpoenas issued in relation to every form of social media, electronic communication, cellular tracking data, and banking records, and reviewed information gathered from the 20-plus interviews of family members and potential witnesses,” the statement reads. “A detailed examination of all gathered information has enabled investigators to determine, based on factual evidence, that Mrs. Collier’s death was self-inflicted.”
The statement concludes with the sheriff’s office offering condolences to Collier’s family, saying sheriff’s office personnel hope the report’s findings will provide some form of closure and allow the healing process to begin.
