Lee Co. remains identified as missing 28-year-old Columbus woman

LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM) - Human remains found in Lee County have been identified.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, on August 13, deputies received information about a body being located in a wooded area just off of Lee Road 170 near the Russell County line in the Salem community of Lee County. Sheriff Jay Jones said that they remains were highly decomposed due to extreme heat.

“The remains we located were in an advanced state of decomposition. We are reasonably certain that the remains had not been at this site over a period of months. We feel like it was a fairly recent circumstance that led to these remains being discovered as far as when the person was actually last alive. So, we’re talking a matter of, we believe, weeks rather than months,” Jones said.

The remains were transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences and were identified as 28-year-old Myshonique Shontrell Maddox, of Columbus.

Maddox was reported missing from Columbus on July 22.

Lee County sheriff’s investigators, Columbus Police Department detectives and Russell County sheriff’s investigators are investigating the case.

There is no word on suspects at this time.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at 334-749-5651.

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