Consider buying an advertisement for your business or sending a donation to Pike County Times to support the only free online newspaper in Pike County. Donations can be sent to: The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. You can also donate through www.venmo.com/u/pikecountytimes, $pikecountytimes, and PayPal.Me/PikeCountyTimesLLC.

Thanks for supporting Pike County's only free online newspaper!

GREENVILLE, GA - The FBI Crime Lab in Quantico, along with Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith, have confirmed remains found last December along a rural Meriwether County road are confirmed to be missing person Olivia Fowler.

FBI Atlanta’s Columbus Resident Agency continues to work in support of Meriwether County to bring this case to a conclusion and provide answers to the Fowler family.

Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith reported that his agency has received confirmation of the identity of the human remains found in Meriwether County in December 2022 through forensic testing, FBI Lab.

"As was reported by the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office press release dated December 16, 2022, our investigators acting on a tip responded to a rural portion of Meriwether County, Ga. regarding information related to possible human remains. Once our personnel arrived in the area and began a search, they were able to locate human remains based on the tip provided. We were assisted by the GBI Crime Scene Unit in the recovery and the processing of the scene," said Sheriff Smith.

"The remains were then sent to the GBI Crime Lab. Our personnel who have been assisted by the FBI Columbus Resident Agency early on in a missing person case investigation worked in concert with us to expedite the identification of these remains. The FBI, Columbus RA obtained from the GBI Crime Lab a portion of the remains to submit to the FBI Crime Lab in Quantico, Virginia,” Sheriff Smith said.

“On August 21, 2023, our personnel along with FBI Agents from the Columbus RA met with and notified the immediate family members of Olivia Samantha Fowler that the remains recovered in December 2022 were in fact Olivia as was verified through DNA testing. Olivia Fowler was reported as a missing person to the Meriwether County Sheriff’s Office on August 14, 2021. Our investigation revealed that the last known confirmed sighting of Olivia Fowler was on August 13, 2021, around 10:30 am on Pebblebrook Road. This missing person case has been investigated by us and other supporting agencies, especially the FBI, Columbus Field Office. The Columbus, Ga. RA has been instrumental in assisting our personnel with their resources."

"This case will now be classified from a missing person case to a death investigation. There is still much evidence to be analyzed and processed,” said Sheriff Smith.

“Although the outcome of the disappearance of Olivia Samantha Fowler is not what any of the family or law enforcement wanted this investigation remains active and on-going. Our focus now is to allow the family to grieve. The family request that they be allowed to properly grieve this recent news and to be supportive of them during this difficult time. The family would like the public to know that Olivia was not only a mother, but a daughter, a sister, a grandchild, and an important member of the Fowler family. This is a difficult time for them now and going forward. Please be respectful of their request.” Sheriff Smith said.