Body Identified as Missing Cartersville Woman

CARTERSVILLE, GA — The remains of a woman whose body was found in Haralson County have been identified as Heather Dianne McDonald, a Cartersville wife and mother who had been missing for more than six weeks.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said its Medical Examiner's Office identified the remains on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Those remains, GBI spokesperson Nelly Miles states, were discovered on Sunday, Oct. 30.

McDonald, 27, was last seen in the area of US-411 and I-75 in Cartersville around 7 p.m. Sept. 18. Her vehicle, a red Jeep Wrangler, was located in the parking lot of the Courtesy Inn at 2335 US-411 the morning of Sept. 19.

The vehicle was unlocked, and the keys and McDonald's belongings were still inside, the FBI previously told Patch.

According to the Haralson County Sheriff's Office, the remains were discovered just after noon by hunters on abandoned property along Coppermine Road near Buchanan.

The GBI, Cartersville Police Department, Bartow County Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Atlanta Field Office had been working diligently to find McDonald since her disappearance in mid-September.

Each agency continues to investigate all leads, and an autopsy will be performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause and manner of death, Miles added.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cartersville Police Department at 770-382-2526 or the GBI’s Calhoun Regional Office at 706-624-1424.

The FBI is also offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information about the death of Heather McDonald.

Return to Patch for updates.

Image via FBI