Fulton missing person case now ruled a homicide
Mar. 31—FULTON — Police suspect foul play in the death of a Fulton woman whose remains were found in a crawl space five years after she disappeared.
Deborah Evans-Bell was reported missing to authorities February 2016, but she could have been missing longer. Her skeletal remains were found in a shallow grave under an East Hill Street home in January. Evans-Bell and her husband lived in the house at the time.
"The case is now considered a homicide," said investigator and Assistant Fulton Police Chief Brad Rogers. "We had to exhume the body. She was buried."
But the investigation is still on hold while authorities wait for the state crime lab in Pearl to see if the remains contain enough evidence to determine how Evans-Bell died.
"Until the crime lab comes up with a cause and manner of death, we have to wait," Rogers said.
While Evans-Bell and her husband lived at the north Fulton house where the remains were found, he moved away a short time after her disappearance,
Rogers said the crawl space was sloped, tapering from about 12 inches on one side to about a couple of feet. He described it as "a confined space."
Because it is an ongoing investigation, authorities are not releasing many details of the case. Rogers did say the remains were skeletal and they recovered a significant amount of bones, but wouldn't comment on whether the body was fully intact or how deeply it was buried.
Even though the case is considered a homicide, police say there are no suspects at this time.
"We have no person of interest right now," Rogers said. "Until we get a cause and manner of death, it will just be an open case."
Evans-Bell's remains were discovered inside the crawl space of her former residence after the current occupants contacted a plumber to repair a water leak. The plumber alerted authorities, who retrieved the remains and sent them to the state crime lab.
On Tuesday, Fulton Police Chief Mitch Nabors and Itawamba County Coroner Shelia Summerford said DNA tests were 99.4% certain the remains belonged to Evans-Bell.
Evans-Bell was 58 years old when she was reported missing on Feb. 8, 2016, after she allegedly left home for a doctor's appointment. A military veteran, Bell frequented several VA medical facilities, including the Memphis VA Medical Center, the Tupelo VA Clinic and the Plantersville Family Clinic. Police officials at the time reported that Evans-Bell couldn't drive and would often catch rides with friends and family or use an area transit company when she needed to travel.
Law enforcement officials in 2016 reported that Evans-Bell never arrived at any of the clinics she frequented.
Although reported missing in February, investigators in 2016 suspected Bell may have been missing for far longer. According to many of the people interviewed by police in connection with her disappearance, Evans-Bell hadn't been seen since early January. Police reportedly interviewed dozens of her friends and family.
Bell was well known around Fulton, even outside her neighborhood. She frequently walked the downtown court square, visiting with local business owners and officials.
Teresa Blake and Adam Armour contributed to this story.
