Human remains on Haw River identified. Deputies say NC woman fell in creek near home.
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 reported Friday.
A kayaker spotted the remains of Gwen Jenell Collins, 62, of Gibsonville, while paddling down the river on Sept. 21. Chatham County and Nash County sheriff’s deputies with cadaver dogs searched the area, aided by emergency management personnel and a swift water rescue team, to recover the remains from the surrounding area.
The Sheriff’s Office has not said where the bones were found along the river, which cuts across eastern Chatham County, from the Alamance County line to the Deep River, south of Jordan Lake.
Collins was reported missing on Aug. 9 in Guilford County. She was last seen walking barefoot near her home on Bellflower Road in a pink nightgown. A Guilford County emergency post on Facebook noted Collins had a cognitive impairment and poor eyesight.
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 N.C. Medical Examiner’s Office using her medical records and bone comparisons, the release said.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Human remains on Haw River identified. Deputies say NC woman fell in creek near home.."
