- Valdosta police officers are investigating human remains that were discovered on a bus parked behind Crossing Jordan.
- The remains are currently with the GBI.
- Watch the video to hear from the bus owner and how it has impacted their family.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
Neighbors on Cypress Street found themselves working around a crime scene at the Cross Jordan church over the Thanksgiving weekend.
I'm Malia Thomas, in Valdosta, and while I was working another story a few days ago, I was approached by a neighbor about a body being found in one of the buses behind the church. That lead me to the owner of the bus.
"It's been a nightmare."
Lakeisha Tooley grew up in Valdosta.
Her father Eddie was a member of Crossing Jordan church for most of his life.
She tells me he acquired a bus to start his own transportation business in Valdosta, but it didn't quite take off.
"He hadn't been using it the last few months. His health had started to decline."
The church agreed to let Eddie park the bus in their parking lot until he found a buyer, where it remained for 10-11 months.
After Eddie's passing in September, Lakeisha began handling his personal affects.
"Well everything was left to me and my kids, so I was trying to get rid of the bus, and my cousin went on the bus to let someone look at it that was interested in buying it, and that's when they walked upon human remains."
Lakeisha said the state of the body was...
"decomposed, like it had been there for a minute."
I checked with the Valdosta Police Department.
After receiving Lakeisha's cousin's E911 call, the confirmed the skeleton was indeed human remains the following Tuesday.
In a statement to me, they said there were no immediate signs of foul play to the body, and the body is currently being processed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.
I had attempted to get in touch with the GBI to see how long the autopsy and identification process would take, but their ME couldn't be reached for an interview.
Lakeisha tells me she and her children have been having a hard time dealing with her father's death, and the situation has only added stress to her family."
"I feel like I'm living a dream. It seems unreal. I never imagined not speaking to my dad everyday. I'm so used to him calling all day every day. Me going over there all day every day. I'd get him food or whatever he need. It's so different."
VPD detectives have a preliminary identification but are waiting for confirmation from the medical examiner. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, ABC27.
