Saturday, December 30, 2006
ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- A body identified as that of a woman missing since mid-October was discovered by deer hunters earlier this week under the same rural, one-lane bridge where another woman was found dead more than four years ago, authorities said.
Stephanie Gallis, 35, was identified Thursday from a tattoo and fingerprints, though the cause of death has not been determined and it may be up to six weeks before final autopsy results are in, Detective K.C. Jones with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
Investigators suspect foul play but have no leads in the death of Gallis, who was last seen by family members Oct. 19. Her decomposing remains were found Wednesday in an area about five miles west of the city, beneath a bridge over Thompson Run Creek where the body of Angela Kennedy, 40, was discovered in April 2002, about a month after her disappearance was reported.
That killing remains unsolved, and detectives are intrigued by the similarities between the two cases, Jones said.
Being out of touch with family for a time was not unusual for either woman, he said.
"There was some time that went by before anybody reported them missing because of their lifestyle. They were both known to disappear for a period of time," Jones said.
But, because Kennedy was shot to death and it's not apparent how Gallis died, the investigations may well go in different directions, he said.