Woman's body found in ditch near I-85 in Hapeville

HAPEVILLE, Ga. — Hapeville police investigating after a woman’s body found near Interstate 85 Wednesday afternoon.

Police the woman was in a ditch at Willingham Bridge.

The man who found the body, Matthew Harris, says he was cleaning a parking lot alongside I-85 Wednesday afternoon when he saw clothing on the fence and a purse sitting on top of a bin.

"Just kind of curious as to why there were things there, started walking along the fence line where the trees were at," Harris said.

Initially Harris thought the woman's body was a mannequin.

"I mean I find all kinds of stuff along these roads and properties," Harris said.

Harris told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes he thought the woman was hit by a car, but when he noticed she only had a shirt on, he thought maybe this was a sexual assault and murder.

Authorities are investigating the death as being under “suspicious circumstances.”

Investigators are still working to identify the woman.

Cox Media Group