Authorities are working to identify a body found Friday in a wooded area near the Love Grove community.
Wilmington Police Department (WPD) Cpl. Kevin Smith, around 4:30 p.m. Friday, said authorities had not yet verified the body’s identity and an autopsy has been scheduled for Monday.
The discovery coincided with a search for Alma Lawson, an 83-year-old woman missing since early November. (Related story)
Under weather conditions ideal for recovery searches following days of rain, WPD had requested the help of basic law enforcement training students at Cape Fear Community College, whose assistance led to the body’s discovery, according to school spokesman David Hardin.
The wooded area where the team found the remains was previously unexplored in the Lawson case. According to Smith, the body was found off railroad tracks about 700 yards northwest of where they intersect with King Street.
Lawson was last seen at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, on Stanley Street in the Love Grove community. According to WPD, she told a friend she was going to her home—two blocks away—and hasn’t been seen since.
Check back for updates in this developing story.
