Newton County

Cause of death undetermined after remains of woman missing for 6 years found in Newton Co.

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Newton County Sheriff’s office said Thursday it still hasn’t been determined how a woman died after vanishing nearly six years ago.

In March, a crew clearing brush off Hollingsworth Road in Covington discovered skeletal human remains.

This week, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified those remains as belonging to Stacey Nease.

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The 54-year-old mother and grandmother was reported missing on August 18, 2018.

“Once I got home, I saw police cars, GBI, all of that going on,” Angie Hollingsworth told Channel 2′s Tom Regan.

Hollingsworth, who lives next door to where the remains were found, said investigators questioned her about whether or not she had seen anything suspicious.

She had not.

“(It’s) kinda creepy. Just wondering who it was and what happened.” said Hollingsworth.

The remains were discovered in a wooded area about two miles from Nease’s boyfriend’s home, where she had been living.

“Her last known interaction was with her boyfriend. She was leaving her boyfriend’s house and she didn’t have her personal belongs with her,” Newton County Sheriff’s representative Caitlin Jett said.

The boyfriend is not considered a suspect, nor a person of interest in her disappearance.

He told Regan that Nease left the house in the middle of the night and that he had no idea where she went, nor why she left.

He also said that she did not own a car.

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Investigators are still working to determine her cause of death.

“The cause of death is unknown due to the condition of her remains,” Jett said.

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office released a statement.

“The discovery of Stacey Nease’s remains reignites the investigation into her disappearance and death. The investigation is ongoing, and all efforts are being made to uncover the suspicious circumstances surround her death.”

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