Mystery woman found dead
OXFORD WEEKLY PLANET
Saturday, April 16, 2022
Mystery woman found dead near housing development
No ID found on partially nude body; officials suspect foul play
The Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department is appealing to the public for help in identifying a woman whose partially nude body was found yesterday hidden by thick kudzu in Kelly Woods off MS-7, south of Oxford.
The dead woman, believed to be in her late 20s, was approximately 5'8" and 130 pounds with dark brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing only faded blue jeans and undergarments but no shirt.
Authorities declined to specify the cause of death but said the woman likely died late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
An equipment operator working on an adjacent construction site discovered the body and notified the site supervisor, who in turn alerted the sheriff's department and the property developer Michael Robbins.
In a statement released this afternoon by Robbins Developments, Mr. Robbins said, "While today's tragic discovery was on an adjacent property with no connection to Robbins Developments or our Kelly Green development, we are deeply saddened by this young woman's death and pledge to do everything we can to assist the sheriff's department in their investigation."
The body was found in a secluded area of Kelly Woods that is sometimes used as a lover's lane. Residents in the area say cars have occasionally broken down and become stranded overnight. However, no one reported seeing a stranded vehicle this morning.
Yoknapatawpha Sheriff's Public Information Officer Elizabeth Jones said investigators believe the woman may have been killed elsewhere and her body dumped in Kelly Woods, but Jones declined to specify what evidence led them to that conclusion.
Jones said investigators are checking missing persons reports in Yoknapatawpha and surrounding counties for any missing women that fit the dead woman's description and will expand the search nationwide, if necessary.
The Sheriff's Department is asking anyone who believes they might have information about the woman's identity to contact them immediately.
