Police are questioning two persons of interest after a body, presumed to be that of a missing woman, was recovered Thursday.
Police Chief Joseph Daughtry confirmed family members of Nashieka Dobbs – last seen Nov. 6 – discovered a body at the site of the former Sanderson Plumbing plant near the corner of Peach Street and Seventh Avenue North.
Daughtry said the body has not been officially identified yet by Lowndes County Corner Greg Merchant.
“Family members believe that it’s her, but we want to make sure,” Daughtry said in a press conference Thursday evening at the Municipal Complex.
Columbus Police Department alerted the public Nov. 11 to be on the lookout for Dobbs. A search party organized by Dobbs’ family left from the Hobby Lobby parking lot Thursday morning accompanied by CPD officers. A family member and a CPD detective discovered the body shortly after noon, Daughtry said.
“I know a lot of people say, ‘Well, how did you know to start searching in that area?’” Daughtry said. “We didn’t, but we’ve had different people call, not only us, but they called family members and started putting us on the right track.”
Daughtry said the investigation has not yet been labeled a homicide, as the cause of death has not been determined. However, the department is currently questioning two men believed to be the last people seen with Dobbs.
While Daughtry would not confirm the identity of the persons of interest during the press conference, a press release issued Nov. 11 by CPD said she was last seen with her boyfriend Jamar Hughes. Shawanda Jones, public information officer for Columbus, told The Dispatch the second person of interest is a relative.
No one had been charged in connection to the death as of Thursday evening, Daughtry said.
Daughtry said it has not been determined yet how long the body was at the scene, but he did confirm the body was found “in close proximity” to Hughes’ residence.
“Today was a day that we were trying to bring some closure to the Dobbs family, and we’re not there yet because … we still have work to do,” Daughtry said. “Now we’re trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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