A Georgia man is believed to have died from a heart attack while disposing of a murder victim in Alabama woods.
The bodies of Jessica Folds, 47, and Daniel Robbins, 44, were discovered June 10 in Chambers County.
District Attorney Mike Segrest on Thursday said an autopsy showed Folds died of strangulation and Robbins of a heart attack.
Folds lived in Lanett and Robbins lived in Macon, Ga.
The discovery was made about 12:20 p.m. that Wednesday in the 1000 block of County Road 86.
Chambers County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the dirt road when a passerby spotted the pickup truck in the road.
When deputies arrived, they found Folds and Robbins in a nearby wooded area.
Their bodies were taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy.
“Based on the investigation by ALEA and the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, and the autopsy done by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, the female victim was strangled, and it appears the male was attempting to dispose of the body in a remote location.”
“He died of a heart attack while doing it,” Segrest said.
“Their bodies were right there together.”
The district attorney said the truck was still running and the driver’s side door was open. The tailgate was down, and there were drag marks in the dirt from the tailgate up into the woods where the bodies were found.
Segrest said there was no evidence to show where the strangulation took place but said he believed it was the result of a domestic incident.
Based on the condition of the bodies and the fact that the truck was still running, Segrest surmised the incident unfolded the night before.
Folds was the mother of three adult sons.
“Jessica lived and worked many places in the Auburn-Opelika area,” according to her obituary.
“Jessica touched the lives of many with her heart of gold, deep love for everyone, and a smile that brightened the world.”
“Daniel was a country boy who loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing and had a deep passion for racing,” according to his obituary.
“He specialized in welding, but loved working in farming and on vehicles.”