Human remains found along the banks of the Haw River in September have been identified as a missing Gibsonville woman, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
A kayaker spotted the remains of Gwen Jenell Collins, 62, of Gibsonville, while paddling down the river on September 21. Chatham County and Nash County sheriffs with cadaver dogs searched the area, aided by emergency personnel and a rapid water rescue team. , to recover the remains from the area.
The Sheriff’s Office has not said where the bones were found along the river, which cuts through eastern Chatham County from the Alamance County line to the Deep River, south of Jordan Lake.
Collins was reported missing on August 9 from her home on Bellflower Road in Guilford County. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said Collins may have drowned or been swept away by a large creek near her home that feeds the Haw River, according to a news release.
She was positively identified by the NC Medical Examiner’s Office using her medical records and bone comparisons, the release said.
