A missing woman with ties to metro Atlanta apparently committed suicide, according to the police chief in the San Antonio, Texas, suburb where she was found dead last week.
Garden Ridge, Texas, police responding to a resident’s report of a body in a wooded area last Thursday found 33-year-old Leanne Hecht Bearden’s remains.
Bearden, who grew up in the Atlanta area, was visiting her in-laws near San Antonio when she went out for a walk Jan. 17, Channel 2 Action News reported. She graduated from Roswell High School and her parents still live in the Atlanta metro area, according to the TV station.
Garden Ridge police Chief Donna O’Conner said in a statement that the preliminary autopsy results “indicate asphyxiation by hanging, with the opinion on manner of death, suicide.”
O’Conner said the final ruling on Bearden’s death is pending toxicology results.
“The investigative information indicates the death occurred a short time after she was seen leaving the residence for a walk,” the chief said.
Bearden’s brother told Channel 2 Action News that she and her husband, Josh Bearden, had just returned from a two-year trip around the world. The couple stopped in Texas to visit with family before moving to the Denver area, the station reported.
The woman's body was found in woods less than a half-mile from the home where she had been staying, according to the San Antonio Express-News newspaper.
Her family late Thursday posted a statement on the Facebook page set up to support efforts to find her:
“Our family is understandably devastated by the news of the recovery of the remains of our beloved Leanne. We wish to thank the myriad of people who helped us search for Leanne and who supported us during this entire nightmare. Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we draw comfort and strength from the outpouring of prayers, actions, and good wishes from all, including over 20,000 Facebook friends. We ask your continued prayers and good wishes for our family. Leanne was a lovely and remarkable young woman, and we will all miss her greatly.”
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