The McDonald County Sheriff's Office has tentatively identified the body found between Ginger Blue and Noel as 25-year-old Jessica McCormack of Noel.
According to several of her friends, McCormack has not been seen since the middle of July.
Numerous leads were followed up on after the initial discovery of the body alongside Highway 59. During the investigation, it was determined that a female from Noel had not been heard from for approximately a month, but a missing person report was never filed with authorities.
As the case unfolded, investigators began gathering information about McCormack to determine if she was the victim. Due to the condition of the body, authorities were cautious to prevent misidentification.
After several days of research and a re-examination of the body, Sheriff Michael Hall said there is strong evidence to believe the body is that of McCormack. Formal identification will not be complete until dental records and DNA samples are confirmed. The department has secured a DNA sample from a family member of McCormack's, and Hall hopes to have dental records for comparison by the end of the week.
McCormack's family was notified of the determination of the investigation last week. This sparked the discovery that McCormack's three young children, ranging in age from 4-years-old to 7-months-old, had not been seen since her disappearance. According to one of the children's father, the children were last known to be with McCormack on or around July 3.
Hours after issuing an alert about the missing children, they were safely located in Iowa and taken into custody. Hall said a subject that authorities want to speak with transported the children north.
"We are close to putting more info out, but nothing official at this time," he said.
General News on 08/15/2019