CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ga. – The body of a missing college student was discovered in a wooded area in Georgia and the young woman’s boyfriend has been arrested on unrelated charges.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) says the death of 23-year-old Anitra LaShay Gunn is being investigated as a homicide. She was a senior at Fort Valley State University, studying visual and performing arts.
The Fort Valley Police Department began investigating Gunn’s disappearance on Friday. On Saturday, GBI was requested to assist in processing a Chevy Cruz that officers say belonged to Gunn. Parts of the vehicle were recovered, but the bumper still has not been located, GBI says.
According to GBI, Gunn’s body was found Tuesday in Crawford County, near the Peach County line. WGXA reports her body was under leaves and branches.
During a K-9 search of the area, officers say they also recovered evidence, which is being reviewed and processed by the GBI Crime Lab.
GBI says Gunn’s boyfriend, Demarcus Little, has been arrested on unrelated charges. NBC News reports he’s been charged with criminal damage to property, stemming from a Feb. 5 incident at Gunn’s home.
"In this incident the windows were smashed at her apartment and tires were slashed on her vehicle," said a university police statement obtained by NBC News. "More charges may be forthcoming."
Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese stopped short of calling Little a suspect but did label him as a “person of interest,” NBC News reports.
An autopsy on Gunn’s body was completed Thursday. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of Gunn’s death a homicide, but her cause of death is pending toxicology results.
A task force made up of several law enforcement agencies is following up on leads and conducting interviews to piece together what led to Gunn’s death.