Man Suspected of Strangling Girlfriend Dies of Heart Attack While Dumping Her Body

A Georgia man suspected of killing his girlfriend died of a heart attack while attempting to dispose of her body in a wooded area in Alabama, authorities said.

Jessica Folds, 47, of Lanett, Alabama, and Daniel Robbins, 44, of Macon, Georgia, were found dead on June 10 in a wooded area near County Road 86 in Lanett, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Deputies with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office located both bodies after responding to a report of a vehicle parked on the roadway. Both Folds and Robbins were pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for autopsies.

Autopsy results later determined that Folds had been strangled, while Robbins died from a fatal heart attack.

Chambers County District Attorney Mike Segrest said Robbins was Folds’ boyfriend and that investigators believe he killed her before suffering the heart attack while attempting to move or dispose of her body.

“He died of a heart attack while doing it,” Segrest said, according to AL.com. “Their bodies were right there together.”

The discovery began around 12:20 p.m. on June 10, when deputies were called to the area after someone spotted a truck in the road. Sheriff Jeff Nelson told WTVM that a Ford truck was found with its headlights still on and the driver’s side door open. Authorities also noted signs of a drag path leading from the vehicle toward the area where the bodies were discovered.

Nelson said investigators do not believe the wooded area was where Folds was killed, but instead believe it was a dump site. Folds was found with her hands raised over her head, while Robbins was found next to her in a fetal position, according to WTVM and People.

Authorities have not publicly said where the strangulation occurred. Segrest told AL.com, as cited by The Guardian, that investigators suspect the killing was an act of domestic violence and believe the events may have unfolded the night before the bodies were found, in part because the truck was still running when deputies arrived.

Folds lived only a few miles from the scene, while Robbins was from south Georgia, according to WTVM. Robbins’ ex-wife reportedly told investigators he had a preexisting heart condition.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is leading the case, with assistance from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. As of the latest reports, the investigation remains ongoing.

Folds, a mother of three, was remembered in her obituary as someone with a “heart of gold” and a “smile that brightened the world,” according to People. A memorial service and celebration of life was held for her on June 28.