Debbie Collier: Mom who sent daughter cryptic text before death was found in horrifying condition
WARNING: This article contains graphic content that some readers may find distressing. Discretion is advised.
ATHENS, GEORGIA: The investigation continues into the death of 59-year-old Debbie Collier whose last cryptic message to her daughter have left her family with a lot of unanswered questions. Now, the latest reports suggest that Collier, who was last seen on September 9 and her body was discovered on September 11, was found naked and burned.
Collier, who lived with her husband and daughter, left her home in a rented Chrysler Pacifica SUV with only her credit card and driver’s license on the evening of September 9. The next day, she sent her daughter Amanda Bearden $2,385 through Venmo app along with a message that read, "They are not going to let me go, love you there is a key to the house in the blue flower pot by the door." Police said Collier's cryptic text to daughter may indicate that she was violently kidnapped before she was found dead, reports Daily Mail.
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According to a Habersham County Sheriff’s Office incident report, as per The Daily Beast, investigators found Collier “a nude female laying on her back, grasping a small tree with her right hand.” The report said, “Collier’s remains [were] apparently burned with what appeared to be charring to her abdomen." Also, officers and a K-9 unit found a red tote bag about a quarter-mile from the vehicle and "what appeared to be the remains of a fire" nearby. Following this, the Habersham County Coroner's Office transferred Collier's remains to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Crime Lab for an autopsy, and GBI was also sent "various items of possible evidence" for enhanced analysis.
The discovery of Debbie Collier
Steve Collier, the husband, told investigators that he last saw his wife at 9 pm on September 10. He said her car was still in the driveway when he left for work the following morning. Cops after learning that Collier's rented SUV was fixed with the SiriusXM satellite radio, used its technology to track her location. On September 11 around 12.30 pm, SiriusXM tracked the vehicle to US 441 near Victory Home Lane, 60 miles north of the Athens, home of Collier, and contacted the Habersham County Sheriff's Office. Her body was discovered in a nearby ravine, away from the highway. According to Habersham County Sheriff’s Office records, the vehicle was "unlocked and unoccupied" when found, as reported by Fox News.