Body found but not sure yet if it is Cheryl Dunlap

Dec 19, 2007 The body of Cheryl identified today.(the latest UPDATES and lots more photos at this link).


























From Tallahassee Democrate News

Originally published December 16, 2007
Officials still trying to identify body found Saturday


An autopsy will be completed today or tomorrow of the woman's body found Saturday off a road in the Apalachicola National Forest. Investigators still can't say whether it's the body of Cheryl Dunlap, the missing Wakulla County woman, LCSO spokesman Rob Reisinger said.

Hunters called 911 Saturday after discovering the body about 11 a.m. on a forest road near Bloxham Cutoff Road in southern Leon County, said Maj. Mike Wood of the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

As of 1:30 p.m. Saturday, deputies still hadn't identified the body. They also haven't determined a cause of death, Reisinger said.

The body had "been there some time," Wood said. There was evidence of decomposition, but Wood would not speculate on the exact time of death. He described the woman as white, but he couldn't say what clothes she was wearing or whether any objects were found nearby.

Investigators notified the family of missing Wakulla woman Cheryl Hodges Dunlap about the body. But they couldn't say whether the body was Dunlap's.

"This is a tragedy regardless," Wood said.

Dunlap has been missing since Dec. 1. Her car was found two days later with one flat tire on the south shoulder of U.S. Highway 319 in Leon County.

Lori White, a pastor at Dunlap's church River of Life, said she and other friends of Dunlap continue to hold out hope that Dunlap will be found safe and sound.

"We're not jumping to any conclusions until we hear the final report," White said. "We don't know it is her, so we continue to be hopeful that we will find Cheryl alive and well."

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office were assisting at the scene.


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Cheryl Dunlap's Body May Have Been Located - News- msnbc.com

Investigators may have found the body of a missing Wakulla County woman.
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22283711

WJHG - HomePage
Cheryl Dunlap
's Body May Have Been Located. Last Updated: 10:04 AM 12/16/07 - Investigators may have found the body of a missing Wakulla County woman.
www.wjhg.com

Woman's body found in woods; officials unsure whether it is Dunlap
Tallahassee Democrat, FL
9 hours ago Investigators notified the family of missing Wakulla woman Cheryl Hodges Dunlap about the body. But they couldn't say whether the body was Dunlap's.

Woman's body found in forest
WWSB ABC 7, FL Cheryl Hodges Dunlap has been missing since December 1st. Her car was found two days later on the shoulder of the road with one flat tire.

Body May Be Missing Woman
WMBB-TV, FL - Authorities say they have not confirmed whether the body is that of Cheryl Dunlap. The 46 year-old was last seen on December 1.


WCTV - HomePage


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12/17/07 UPDATE
Body Found Still Not Identified


12/18/07 UPDATE
Originally published December 18, 2007
LCSO: Autopsy process lengthy
Investigators have not determined if the body found is missing woman


An autopsy has been performed on the body of a woman found Saturday, but the Leon County Sheriff's Office isn't saying what was learned from the exam.

"The process won't be complete for a long time," Maj. Mike Wood said Monday afternoon. The body was examined Sunday, he said.

"We are doing everything possible that can be done," LCSO spokesman Rob Reisinger said. "This is a very tedious, time- intensive, labor-intensive process."

Neither Wood nor Reisinger would elaborate on what's next in the autopsy process.

Reisinger did say that investigators have not determined if the body of a white woman is that of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, a 46-year-old Crawfordville woman who has been missing since Dec. 1. Her disappearance has created a growing concern for her many friends in Leon and Wakulla counties.

Dunlap worked as a nurse at Florida State University. Her white Toyota Camry was found two days after her disappearance with a flat tire on the south side of U.S. 319 in Leon County. The Sheriff's Office is searching for a man who used her ATM card at a West Tennessee Street location on three consective days following her disappearance.

"It is too early to determine who the person is and the cause of death," Reisinger said. "We have more questions than we have answers."

He also said that it was too early to tell how long the body had been at the location. It had started to decompose, Wood said. Hunters discovered the body at 11 a.m. on a forest road near Bloxham Cutoff Road in southern Leon County.

Anyone with information on Saturday's discovery or information on Dunlap is asked to call the Leon County Sheriff's Office at 922-3300, or Crime Stoppers at 574-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-876-TIPS (8477).

  • Contact Reporter Jennifer Jefferson at (850) 599-2243 or e-mail her at jjefferson@tallahassee.com.

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    WCTV Update
    Criminologist Reviews Dunlap, Body Found Cases
    Posted: 6:43 PM Dec 18, 2007
    Last Updated: 8:24 PM Dec 18, 2007
    Reporter: Lanetra Bennett
    Email Address: mailto:lanetra.bennett@wctv.tv?subject=Criminologist%20Reviews%20Dunlap,%20Body%20Found%20Cases




    Criminologist Review Dunlap, Body Found Cases

    Investigators continue to try to identify a woman found dead in the woods of Leon County and figure out how she died.

    But residents in the area say not knowing who did it is what frightens them the most.

    Many people are exploring the possibility that the body found last Saturday could be missing Wakulla County Sunday school teacher Cheryl Dunlap.

    Authorities are still working on the identity, but a criminologist who spoke with Eyewitness News spoke says the behavior of the suspect who used Dunlap's ATM card doesn't quite match that of a person who would fatally harm a victim.

    One man says he's been hunting in the Apalachicola National Forest for 40 years--the same forest where the body of a white female was found by a group of hunters on December 15th.

    The hunter Eyewitness News spoke with does not want to be identified, but says he can't believe someone could do such a thing. "He's not right. Somebody like that they're not human. They're a dangerous person. It's scary."

    There is plenty of speculation that the person who killed the unidentified woman is the same man who used Cheryl Dunlap's ATM card after she went missing.

    Dunlap was last seen December 1st. Her card was used the following three days.

    Cecil Greek, a criminology professor at FSU, says it is possible that it's not the same suspect. "In general, no. If the person wants money they don't also want to harm the other person beyond that because of the additional penalties."

    Greek does point out that the suspect in these surveillance pictures is peculiar because he used the same ATM on West Tennessee Street with the same disguise all three days. "It's pretty audacious for the person to keep coming back."

    The hunter says the same man or not, it appears he's familiar with the forest. "It doesn't make sense to me but somebody to do something like that don't think straight no way."

    Authorities have not been able to confirm anything one way or the other.

    Greek says it's not unusual for autopsy results to take several days. He says DNA is probably the best way to identify a body in a case like this and that could be difficult being that the body was out in the woods.

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    Leon County Sheriff's Office
    12/13 Press Release

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    12/19/07 UPDATE

    Originally published December 19, 2007

    Missing woman update
    DEMOCRAT STAFF REPORT

    No new information was released Tuesday in the case of missing Crawfordville woman Cheryl Hodges Dunlap.

    An autopsy has been performed on the body of a woman found Saturday in the woods near Bloxham Cutoff Road, but the Leon County Sheriff's Office isn't discussing the results.

    Investigators have not determined if the body is that of Dunlap, who went missing Dec. 1. Anyone with information on Saturday's discovery or information on Dunlap is asked to call the Leon County Sheriff's Office at 922-3300, or Crime Stoppers at 574-TIPS (8477) or (888) 876-TIPS (8477).

    COMMENTS

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    FURTHER UPDATES ON CHERYL
    Dec 6, 2007
    Dec 11, 2007
    Dec 13 2007
    Dec 14, 2007
    Dec 16, 2007

    Dec 19, 2007 The body of Cheryl identified today. (the latest UPDATES and lots more photos at this link).

    No comments: