Justine Creech
A vehicle where human remains were found is seen at left near other vehicles under a bluff near the Lookout Mountain hang gliding launch just south of Burkholder Gap Road on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, in Dade County, Ga. A woman hiking through Dade County, Ga., on Wednesday morning accidentally solved a seven-month-old mystery.
The hiker was on the side of Lookout Mountain, deep in the woods and away from any established trails when she found a battered Town & Country minivan, wedged between an oak tree and an abandoned truck, one that had run off the road some time ago. The van’s license plate was registered to Justine “Marie” Creech, who was reported missing in June.
Detective Tim Mitchell, the lead investigator on the case, said the hiker also found human remains next to the van, along with purple pajama pants and a dark shirt. Creech’s family said she was wearing those clothes when they last saw her.
Mitchell said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab will examine the remains and try to make a positive identification based on DNA and dental records.
Creech, a former Dade County school bus driver, went missing the morning of June 4. Her daughter, Sabrina McMath, said she became concerned about Creech the night before she went missing.