Who was Olivia Samantha Fowler? Georgia mother-of-three declared dead two years after disappearance on hiking trail
MERIWETHER COUNTY, GEORGIA: Georgia mother-of-three Olivia Samantha Fowler, who went missing during a hiking expedition two years ago, has been reported dead by the authorities after human remains were found in the trail.
DNA testing conducted on the human remains found from the hiking trail in December confirmed Fowler’s identity, reported Daily Mail.
When was Olivia Samantha Fowler last seen?
The 27-year-old mother was last seen by a Georgia Department of Natural Resources ranger on August 13, 2021, while she went walking along Pebblebrook Road in Meriwether County.
Her family members reported her missing the next day. She was last seen wearing a tie-dye shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Fowler’s relatives said that she disappeared after meeting a man she was dating.
Tamara McCoy, Fowler’s aunt previously said, “Olivia loves family – loves, loves, loves her family,” before adding, “She's a great mother with the biggest heart.”
Her aunt also organized a search group called ‘Olivia’s Army’ to try to look out for her along with her family arranging fundraisers to hire private investigators.
She further said to Fox 5 in September 2021, "Olivia wouldn’t go 40 days without reaching out to her family."
When was Olivia Samantha Fowler’s body found?
In May 2022, the FBI joined the investigation into Fowler’s missing case. The investigators later found some human remains from a rural area of Meriwether County in December 2022.
During that time, Foweler's sister Roxanne Fowler said, "Maybe it will all come out eventually," before adding, "Maybe we'll all get answers soon."
Authorities were helped by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Scene Unit to help Fowler’s body and conduct the post-mortem.
After a portion of the DNA was sent to the FBI Crime Lab, the DNA sample was confirmed to be of Olivia Samantha Fowler.
On Monday, August 21, the reports of the DNA testing came which confirmed Fowler’s death. The authorities notified the “immediate family members” on that day too.
What is the current nature of the investigation into Olivia Samantha Fowler’s death?
The Meriwether Sheriff Chuck Smith said, “Although the outcome of the disappearance of Olivia Samantha Fowler is not what any of the family or law enforcement wanted, this investigation remains active and ongoing.”
While the Sheriff said there is still “much evidence to be analyzed and processed”, he did not reveal any further information about her death, per Fox 5.
Smith continued, “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,” added the sheriff.