HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — A missing Georgia mother’s body was found in Habersham County burned and naked after she reportedly had sent her daughter money and left her a message saying, “they won’t let me go,” officials say.
According to WSB-TV, Deborah Todd Collier, 59, disappeared from her Athens, Georgia house on September 10.
Deborah’s husband, Steven Collier, had told police that the last time he saw her that day was around 10 p.m. before she went off to bed. Her car was in the driveway the following morning so he had assumed she was still inside the house. According to a police report obtained by WSB-TV, police learned that Steven and Deborah slept in separate rooms due to his snoring.
According to WSB-TV, their daughter, Amanda Bearden, told police that on September 10 around 3 p.m., her mother had sent her about $2,385 on the Venmo app and left her a startling message:
“They are not going to let me go, love, you there is a key in the house in the blue flower pot by the door,” according to WSB-TV. Bearden allegedly tried to call her mother but go no response from her.
Bearden also told police, according to WSB-TV, that her mother only took her debit card and her driver’s license. She also said that she left in a black Chrysler van which she rented since her car wasn’t driveable.
According to WSB-TV, Deborah’s car was tracked to Habersham County on September 11 through her SiriusXM service. Deborah’s car, a Chrysler Pacifica, was found pulled over by a wooded area 60 miles from her house and no one was inside.
Her daughter, Bearden, arrived at the scene after SiriusXM notified her about the location of the car, according to WSB-TV. She reportedly told investigators that her mother had a bad back and was unable to walk far because of it.
A K9 unit arrived and helped deputies search the area. Deputies located what looked like remains of a fire in the woods. According to WSB-TV, deputies shortly found Deborah’s body naked and burned. A blue tarp and red tote bag were found near her.
According to WSB-TV, investigators are treating her death as a homicide with no suspects yet. The investigation is ongoing and they are waiting for the autopsy report from the state medical examiner’s office. No further information has been released.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office at 706-839-0500.
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