Olivia Fowler disappearance: Body of missing mother of 3 identified by DNA
MERIWETHER COUNTY, Ga. - The FBI says they have positively identified remains found in December 2022 as those of 26-year-old missing mother Olivia Fowler. The announcement comes more than two years after the Meriwether County woman was last seen.
On Aug. 13, 2021, a Georgia Department of Natural Resources ranger who knew Fowler said he saw her walking along a rural road, wearing a tie-dye T-shirt and sandals.
That sighting would be the last.
The FBI joined the case last year.
DNA test confirms body found was of Olivia Fowler
On Monday, DNA testing performed by the FBI confirmed it was Fowler’s remains found.
Authorities say this has now pivoted from a missing person’s case to a death investigation.
"There is still much evidence to be analyzed and processed," said Sheriff Chuck Smith. "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. Our focus now is to allow the family to grieve."
"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. This is a difficult time for them now and going forward. Please be respectful of their request," the sheriff added.
The search for Olivia Fowler
Olivia Fowler was 26 when she went missing. She is the mother of three small children.
Her aunt Tamara McCoy, who organized "Olivia's Army" to search for her niece, told FOX 5 Atlanta in September 2021, "Olivia wouldn’t go 40 days without reaching out to her family."
The family took matters into their own hands, hiring a private investigator. Funding for their own investigation has come through car washes and other events.
OLIVIA FOWLER DISAPPEARANCE: AUNT SAYS THE PAST YEAR HAS ‘BEEN HELL’
Olivia’s family remained active in community awareness of her case, as well as other missing and murdered women south of Atlanta.
The FBI said Fowler has ties to Meriwether, Harris, Talbot and Upson counties.
Olivia Fowler's disappearance
It was 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2021, when a DNR ranger saw Fowler walking along Pebblebrook Road in Meriwether County. The location was outside of Manchester, two hours south of Atlanta.
Both law enforcement and her family say that was the last known sighting of her.
The Meriwether County Sheriff’s office said Fowler was last seen wearing a tie-dye shirt, white cut-off shorts and black flip-flops.
FBI joins investigation into Olivia Fowler's disappearance
In May 2022, 10 months after she was last seen, the FBI's Columbus Resident Agency said it had joined the search.
Fowler's loved ones had new optimism at the time of the FBI's announcement.
"Maybe it will all come out eventually," Roxanne Fowler, Olivia's sister, said. "Maybe we'll all get answers soon."
Meriwether County investigators said in May, that they were still "aggressively" working the case. The FBI declined to comment on their involvement in May.
If anyone has any information related to this case investigation involving Olivia Samantha Fowler, contact the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 672-6651, main office number (706) 672-4489 or the FBI tip line at 770-216-3000.
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