Officials: Low water levels reveal missing woman’s body to fishermen

Published 6:15 am Monday, March 27, 2023

The remains of Ebony Owens were discovered by fishermen on the Big Black River Saturday and have since been recovered by authorities.

Owens is the Edwards resident who was allegedly murdered by her husband Michael Owens, who now sits in Hinds County Jail without bond.

“The search for Ebony Owens has concluded. Her body was recovered from the Big Black River today after a days-long search,” Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones said in a public statement. “Once we had located the body, we were able to confirm the identity of this individual to be her.”

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Jones also thanked the many organizations who assisted in the investigation, including the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Hinds County Emergency Services, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, among others.

“The family will be able to have a respectful and proper burial for Mrs. Owens,” Jones added.

According to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, lower water levels in the river revealed the body to the fishermen, who promptly called E911 shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The lower levels also meant that the rescue team had to use small john boats to navigate the river.

“I’m glad we were able to assist Hinds County in this case, and we will continue to keep the victim’s family in our prayers,” Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said.

Two craft were used in the operation and were manned by personnel from multiple agencies. The Hinds County Coroners’ Office conducted the removal of the body.