Marietta homeless woman found dead had mental health issues, family says

Marietta police are still working to determine what caused the death of Kelley Albertson.

Credit: Marietta Police Department

Credit: Marietta Police Department

Marietta police are still working to determine what caused the death of Kelley Albertson.

Marietta police are still investigating the “suspicious death” of a 57-year-old homeless woman whose body was discovered near a busy intersection Tuesday morning.

Investigators identified the body found near the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Cobb Parkway as that of Marietta resident Kelley Albertson. Police were in the woods responding to an unrelated call when they tripped over something and looked down, according to Channel 2 Action News.

“As they walked into the wooded area, they literally stumble on and discover this body laying on the ground,” Marietta police spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy said.

McPhilamy confirmed the woman was homeless, but said investigators found “no observable signs of what caused her death.”

In an interview with the news station Thursday, Charles Albertson said his ex-wife suffered from mental health issues and lived in a tent near where her body was discovered.

“She was a good mom,” Charles Albertson said. “All of her kids loved her. We tried to do good to her. I wish things were different.”

The woman’s son, David Albertson, told Channel 2 his mother told him she was fearful of a strange guy who lived nearby.

“Like that one guy that was trying to make her his girlfriend, she told me that she was scared of him,” he said.

Police said surveillance cameras in the area near the woods may provide some clues, but they’re asking anyone who spoke with Kelley Albertson in the past week to contact detectives at 770-794-5363.

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