The body of a child found in a south Georgia landfill has been identified as 7 year-old Somer Thompson. According to CNN, the girl from Clay County, FL, had gone missing on Monday on her way home from school. Authorities were able to ID the body based on a birth mark and her clothes.
The investigation will now turn to finding the girl’s killer, who is still on the loose. Sheriff Rick Beseler said that detectives have questioned more than 70 registered sex offenders or predators living within five square miles of Somer’s home. The landfill where Somer’s body was found is near Folkston, Georgia, 55 miles north of her home.
Authorities will work to find out where the garbage load that contained the girl’s body came from, Beseler said. The garbage that was brought into that part of the landfill was collected in the Orange Park area, Beseler said, noting that police often search through garbage in missing person cases.
The tragic tale of Somer Thompson is both sad and scary. “There is a child killer on the loose,” the sheriff said. “I fear for our community until we bring this person in.”
Rewards totaling $30,000 have been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.
