The body of an Alabama mother missing for one week was found Sunday in a wooded area about one mile from her home.
Chambers County sheriff’s officials said Sarah Elizabeth Barninger, 35, appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Barninger was last seen on Oct. 11 on County Road 263 in Chambers County. Video footage showed Barninger leaving her home about 10:15 a.m. that Sunday.
Barninger’s cell phone was found at the residence and had been factory reset. Her purse, driver’s license, debit card, and credit cards were also left behind.
A search team from Central Georgia K9 Search & Rescue found Barninger’s body about 12:30 p.m. today on property owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The area was not accessible by vehicle.
Her body has been taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsy.
Sheriff Jeff Nelson, in an afternoon statement, thanked all the volunteers and first responders who assisted with searches throughout the week,
The case remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Chambers County Coroner’s Office.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, reach out to the 24–hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or The Crisis Center at (205) 323-7777; or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours.
