Dead body found in Tennessee may be that of Mississippi woman reported missing since May
Published 8:15 am Tuesday, November 2, 2021
A woman found dead along a Tennessee roadway may be that of a missing Mississippi woman last seen in Columbia on May 9.
Officials from the Nashville Metro Police Department released the identity of a woman found dead along a Madison, Tennessee, roadway as that of Tabitha Ryals, 32, of Mississippi.
WKRN in Nashville reports that police said they believe Ryals came to Nashville within the past few months from Mississippi. Someone driving by saw her body partially wrapped in a blanket and called the police.
Police said it appears Ryals died somewhere else before her body was left along the roadway. Police are investigating this death as a homicide.
On June 7, the Hattiesburg Police Department shared a post from the Columbia Police Department about a missing woman also named Tabitha Ryals. She was last seen in Columbia, Miss. on May 9. Whether they are the same person has not been confirmed, according to WKRN.
Police said it appears Ryals died somewhere else before her body was left in the area. The case is now being investigated as a homicide.
The cause of death will be determined through an autopsy.