Fairhope Police made an arrest over the weekend in connection with the death of a 31-year-old local woman whose body was discovered inside her car in an empty field off Baldwin County 48 near Langford Road, not far from Bohemia Park along the Fish River.
Investigators said an examination determined the woman had been shot before her white 1998 Toyota Camry was spotted from a helicopter in the field where it was found. Police believe she was killed elsewhere and that her body was moved to the location where it was later discovered.
A 37-year-old Fairhope man was arrested and booked into the Fairhope Municipal Jail on a murder charge. Investigators said the man and the victim had previously been in a dating relationship. He was expected to be transferred to the Baldwin County Corrections Center in Bay Minette to await further proceedings.
According to police, the investigation determined the woman was killed inside a residence roughly a mile from where her car was ultimately found. “We believe that she was killed at the address … and after she was killed, she was placed in the car and it was moved to where it was discovered,” Fairhope Police spokesman Sgt. Craig Sawyer said. Her body was taken to the University of South Alabama Medical Center for examination.
The woman was last heard from on Dec. 1, when she was believed to be headed to the gym. Friends and family grew concerned in the days that followed after she failed to show up for work and could not be reached. As word spread that she was missing, a Facebook page was created in her name offering a reward for information that could help locate her, drawing wide attention from the local community before her body was found.
Fairhope Police said the investigation remains active as the case moves through the local court system. The department credited tips from the public and coordination with area agencies for helping identify a suspect quickly after the woman’s body was recovered.