Debbie Collier: Position of Georgia mom's naked body may reveal vital clues about murder, PI claims
HABERSHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA: A private investigator has claimed the way missing mom Debbie Collier's body was found may reveal important clues about her death. Collier's naked and charred remains were found in Georgia on September 11. A day before her death, Collier had sent her daughter money, along with a chilling message.
Collier sent her daughter Amanda Bearden $2,385 with the message, "They are not going to let me go, love you." Collier disappeared on September 10. According to cops, she told her daughter there was a key to their home underneath a flower pot. Collier's body was found naked in the woods, and she was reportedly grasping a small tree with her hand, a police report seen by The US Sun said. Officials are treating her death as a homicide.
READ MORE
Debbie Collier: Mom who sent daughter cryptic text before death was found in horrifying condition
Private investigator Jason Jensen said he believes Collier had not been kidnapped as she was able to transfer money via Venmo. "The message that was sent [along with the money] was someone trying to say they're being held captive," Jensen said. "But it doesn't seem probable that Collier was kidnapped as the suspect wouldn't let her use her phone."
Jensen further said investigators would be looking for signs of a struggle if the message really was a warning that the mom had been kidnapped. "When ruling out the likelihood of kidnapping or suicide, there would usually be other circumscribing evidence like a forced break-in, or a car being ransacked, rather than the money going to the daughter," he said. "They would have gone to an ATM and withdrawn money. A kidnapping situation is usually for money - there has to be some material gain - otherwise it's just hostage." Jensen said he believes someone wants the public to believe Collier had been kidnapped.
Jensen said that someone may have tried to hide DNA evidence considering Collier was found naked and burned. "If digital devices don't give you away, the next thing investigators look for is DNA," Jensen said. "Her stomach was charred, so it's possible that the potential suspect or suspects tried to light her clothes on fire. It didn't work and they stripped her."
Investigators have yet to confirm how Collier died. Jensen said, "Cops didn't think it was important to share her cause of death otherwise they would've told us. I’m leaning to believe it wasn't a shooting or stabbing - otherwise, there would have been large blood volume. There was nothing mentioned of a bloody scene in the police report. I’m venturing to guess she was strangled."
Bearden, who was “hysterical” at the scene, told detectives Collier had no mental health issues and was not suicidal. Officers in Habersham County have confirmed there is no evidence to suggest she had been kidnapped before her murder. Years before her death, Collier had shared chilling photos of herself with a black eye saying she "face planted" on the sidewalk. Her husband, Steven, said he saw her at around 9 pm on September 9 for the last time. An autopsy has yet to be conducted.