Mum-of-three confirmed dead more than two years after she vanished hiking
A mother-of-three has been confirmed dead over two years after she went missing on a hiking trail.
Olivia Samantha Fowler was reported missing by her family after last being seen on August 13, 2021, wearing a tie-dye shirt, shorts and flip flops in in Georgia, US. She was walking in Meriwether County - but wasn’t seen again for 16 months.
Last December, human remains were found in the rural area by the authorities, which DNA tests confirmed belonged to Olivia. Her death was confirmed to her family on Monday 21 August.
Meriwether Sheriff Chuck Smith said an “ investigation remains active and ongoing”, adding that officers “met with and notified the immediate family members” that Olivia was confirmed dead. He said: “The outcome of the disappearance of Olivia Samantha Fowler is not what any of the family or law enforcement wanted.”
Olivia leaves behind three children (Facebook/Olivia Samantha Fowler)It is as yet unconfirmed whether Olivia’s death is being treated suspiciously, with Smith keeping cards close to his chest as he said there is “much evidence to be analysed and processed”. It was not revealed how Olivia died, but the case has now been switched from a missing person case to a death investigation.
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Relatives said Fowler went missing after she saw a man who she was dating. She was previously described as someone who “loves family - loves, loves loves her family” by her aunt, Tamara McCoy, who also said she’s a “great mother with the biggest heart.
The FBI became involved in the case from May 2022 before her remains were found in a rural part of Meriwether County after investigators were tipped off. Her body was recovered by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Scene unit, who processed the scene and conducted an autopsy. A sample of the DNA from the recovered remains were sent to the FBI Crime Lab - which confirmed the remains belonged to Fowler.
She went missing soon after seeing a man she was dating (Facebook/Olivia Samantha Fowler)Sheriff Smith said: “The family request that they be allowed to properly grieve this recent news and to be supportive of them during this difficult time.
“The family would like the public to know that Olivia was not only a mother, but a daughter, a sister, a grandchild, and an important member of the Fowler family.”
A search group called “Olivia’s Army” was put together to try and locate her. Money was raised through car washes and other fundraisers in order to hire a private investigator.
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