Lexington, GA – Human skeletal remains found in Oglethorpe County in 1988 have been identified as Bonnie Marie Houston (born in 1954) from Norfolk, Virginia.  The skeletal remains of Houston were discovered on March 20, 1988, by a couple who had stopped along County Road 190 near State Highway 77 North to watch a beaver in a nearby swamp.  The remains were in a large, dark-blue canvas gym bag.  The wrists were bound with nylon cord.  At the time, no cause of death was established.  The investigation has been worked jointly by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Oglethorpe County Sheriff’s Office since the remains were discovered in 1988.

Investigators from the Norfolk Police Department in Virginia were following leads concerning Houston’s disappearance from that area in 1986.  The GBI Athens Office was contacted and the GBI Crime Lab reviewed FBI DNA Profile information concerning Houston after being contacted by the Norfolk Police Department in July of 2014.  It was determined the remains discovered in 1988 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia belonged to Houston.

Information developed through the investigation strongly suggests that Houston was murdered in Norfolk, Virginia in 1986 and those remains were transported to Oglethorpe County, Georgia where they were hidden in the swamp area.  The investigation continues to be worked by the authorities in Virginia and Georgia.  The primary focus of the case is centered in the Norfolk, Virginia area and all pertinent information developed by authorities in Georgia will be forwarded to Norfolk Police Department for inclusion in their investigation.

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Contact Information:

ASAC Jesse Maddox 706/552-2309