Natalie Jones, 27, disappeared after attending a Fourth of July party at a friend's house in Jacksons' Gap, Alabama. The party was just about an hour away from her home. Family and friends have since been searching for her. Fox5 Atlanta noted that Jones was diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. She was not on her medication, the outlet added.
On Tuesday, October 6, her hot pink Chevrolet Cavalier was discovered in the woods off of Roosterville Road near Ephesus. A dead body was found inside the car, The LaGrange Daily News reported. Jone's sister confirmed with Adventures with Purpose that it was Jones' remains. Adventures with Purpose is an organization specializing in water recovery to help find missing persons, Crime Online noted.
"No foul play involved," says the Heard County Sherrif's Office
The Heard County Sherrif's Office said it would not speculate on what happened to the body and would wait for the autopsy report by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. However, Sheriff Ross Henry said that initial investigations suggest no foul play was involved in her death.
Speaking to WSB-TV Channel 2, Jones' mother, Elaine Gordon, described how devastated she was upon hearing the news. She said that she lost it and started screaming. A mother of two sons, Jones' last communication was through a text message that she sent to a friend to say that she made it home. The body was found in the front seat; the phone was inside as well, News 9 report noted.
Gordon told WSB-TV Channel 2 that Jones was in the middle of a custody battle and believed that her daughter was abducted. She also said that Jones had also received threatening comments about her.
Speculations Surface Regarding the Car's Placement
Gordon said that she knows that they had ten cars out searching, and each one passed that spot where her car was found. Hence, she finds it hard to believe that the vehicle had been there for three months.
However, Sheriff Henry dismissed speculations that the person doing the clearing did not see the car in the morning, but after getting back from home that evening, he found the vehicle there. Henry said it was not true at all, the News 19 report noted.
Henry said that the evidence suggests that the car had been in that location, possibly since Jones' day of the disappearance. He also said that there was already growth around the vehicle, about 7 to 8 feet tall, making it clear the car has been in that location for an extended period.
For now, he is calling for everyone to pray and support the family while investigators are searching for answers as to what happened to Natalie.
A GoFundMe memorial fundraiser has been organized for Natalie Jones. The funeral is set to be at Higgins Hillcrest Funeral home in Newnan, Ga. However, the date and time are yet to be announced.
