Missing woman’s body found near suspect’s house

Published 1:00 pm Friday, July 13, 2018

THOMASVILLE — Several calls from concerned residents Thursday night led law enforcement officers to the body of a 70-year-old woman missing from her Thomasville home since July 3.

The body of Deanna Shirey was found behind the 428 Colton Ave. residence of Robert Lee Carter II, the suspect in the case.

“She was wrapped in the comforter. She was in a shallow grave,” Thomas County Coroner Don Shiver said. The body was found under a shed, Shiver said.

The comforter was missing from Shirey’s Glenwood Drive home.

The body was within 50 feet of the house, said Maj. Wade Glover, Thomasville Police Department (TPD) public information officer.

The discovery of the body was between 11 p.m. and midnight Thursday, according to authorities. Shirey’s family members from North Georgia and South Florida were notified around 4 a.m. Friday. Family members, including Shirey’s three children, have been in Thomasville since early last week.  

Law enforcement agencies executed a search warrant at the Carter residence on Friday, July 6. Glover said the house and property were searched “to the best of our ability at that time.”

Cadaver dogs were not used in the search at Carter’s residence last week, Glover told reporters Friday morning. “They were used at (Ms.) Shirey’s home,” he added.

The body will undergo an autopsy at a state crime lab.

Law enforcement returned to Carter’s property and conducted another search at 10 Thursday night. The body was found during the search.

Carter’s house will be searched again. Some of Shirey’s jewelry was found at the house during the search a week ago, according to authorities.

Shirey’s vehicle was found in Frenchtown in Tallahassee, Florida, on July 3. Glover said it is not known if Carter drove the vehicle to Tallahassee or if so, how he returned to Thomasville.

Stephanie Hutchinson lives across the street from the Carter home, which is overgrown with tall grass and weeds and has a for-sale sign in the front yard. The shed is behind the house.

Hutchinson said she and her family were out of town last week. Their house sitter informed the family about the search of Carter’s house.

“It’s just awful. I don’t even know what to think about it,” Hutchinson said about the woman’s body being found across the street from her home.

Hutchinson said that three times in recent months, Carter came to her house and asked her fiancé to jump-start his truck. 

“His battery was dead,” she said. 

Her fiancé eventually told Carter to buy a battery.

“You just never know who you live across the street from,” Hutchinson said. “I just feel so sorry for her family. My God.”

Glover pointed out that residents had become so concerned about Shirey that they were searching for her themselves.

A woman looking for Shirey late Thursday afternoon on the 319 bypass saw a bathrobe on the side of the road and called police.

Carter remains behind bars at the Thomas County Jail. He has been denied bond in the kidnapping and robbery of another Thomasville woman last week and in taking an Ochlocknee family hostage Friday.

Carter, 47, was captured during a massive manhunt Sunday afternoon. He was found hiding under a log in the Little Ochlockonee River.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820