Derrek Vaughn | The Valdosta Daily TimesA body was found at this house located at 1207 Westwood Drive by workers who were renovating the house.

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Police identified the body found in a vacant home on Westwood Drive Tuesday as 43-year-old Billie Joann Boyd.

Boyd was reported missing by her boyfriend May 23 less than a few blocks away from the vacant home at 1207 Westwood Drive, Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress said Thursday.

With the assistance of a medical examiner with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Childress said there are no signs of foul play but the cause of death has yet to be determined.

“We will have to wait for a toxicology report, which could take a couple of months,” Childress said at a press conference.

The boyfriend told police Boyd was upset the night she went missing and ran from the home, according to a report. 

Workers discovered the body in an AC/Heating room that was locked from the inside, the report states. They told police they broke down the door after smelling something bad coming from inside it, Childress said.

Once located, the workers called police. VPD officers, detectives and crime-scene technicians from the Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory responded to the scene to conduct an investigation, according to a VPD report.

No evidence was recovered that pointed toward any foul play being involved, the report states. The medical examiner found no signs of trauma or injury.

“At this point, it appears there is no evidence that this woman was the victim of foul play,” Childress said. “But we are waiting on toxicology before we can definitely conclude the final cause of death. Our hearts go out to the family of the victim who have been notified.”

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256