Body found on used car lot belongs to missing woman, Mississippi deputies say
UPDATE: The body found in the trunk of a vehicle on a used car lot has been identified as a missing Mississippi woman, according to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.
The remains discovered in Laurel on June 10 belong to Samantha Elisabeth McCowan, 32, deputies confirmed June 12. Authorities said they don’t suspect foul play but didn’t say how McCowan wound up in the trunk.
Additional information wasn’t provided.
The original story continues below.
A body found on a used car lot may belong to a woman who went missing after crashing her car, Mississippi deputies told news outlets.
Authorities made the grim discovery Monday, June 10, at Luis Auto Sales on Highway 184 in Laurel, the Jones County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to McClatchy News. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation Crime Scene Unit was called in to help.
The remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle on the lot, WDAM reported, citing Sheriff Joe Berlin. Investigators believe it may be linked to the disappearance of 32-year-old Samantha Elisabeth McCowan.
“More than likely, it’s going to be her,” Berlin told the station.
McCowan was last seen at about 1 a.m. on Friday, June 7, after her car crashed near Mississippi Highway 184, deputies said. After her car hit a power pole, authorities said McCowan walked away from the crash and hasn’t been seen since.
Deputies found her cell phone inside her car and said they don’t believe she’s had “any means of electronic communications” since the early-morning wreck.
State and local agencies, including Mississippi Emergency Management, spent the weekend scouring the area in hopes of finding the missing woman, authorities said in a news release.
Crews conducted ground and aerial searches using drones with no luck after a three-day search. Authorities also asked residents and businesses in the area to check their security cameras for any sightings of McCowan.
The body found on the used car lot hadn’t been identified as of June 11.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
Laurel is about a 90-mile drive southeast from downtown Jackson.
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Body found on used car lot belongs to missing woman, Mississippi deputies say."