Missing Georgia Mom Found Dead After Sending Daughter Chilling Text and Money

Debbie Collier Amanda Bearden Habersham County Sheriff's Office Missing Georgia mom

By Joel Brussels , Parent Herald Sep 20, 08:32 am

Photo: (Photo : ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP via Getty Images)

A missing Georgia mom has been found dead in a ravine after wiring her daughter $2,385 along with the chilling message that said, "They are not going to let me go, love you."

The body of Debbie Collier was found on Sunday, September 11, two days after she left her Athens home in a rented SUV, according to 11Alive. The 59-year-old's daughter, Amanda Bearden, told police that Collier, whose vehicle was in the shop, had left her residence with only her debit card and a driver's license, according to the news station.

Authorities tracked the car as it was equipped with satellite radio. The rented car's SiriusXM satellite radio was tracked to US 441 near Victory Home Lane, located about 60 miles from Collier's home.

Collier's body found in Habersham County woods

A K-9 team of the Habersham County Sheriff's Office located the missing woman's body nearby. Investigators found the body of the Athens mom in the woods in Habersham County. Found alongside the victim were a red tote bag and a partially-burned-blue tarp.

Investigators are treating Collier's death as a homicide, which the missing person's report of Bearden suggested may have been the result of a kidnapping, according to Fox News. They have released a few other details surrounding the case.

The 36-year-old daughter of the victim told police from Athens Clarke County that her mom had suddenly sent her $2,385 through Venmo. She sent a message alongside that cash gift, saying they would not let her go. She then said, "love you."

Collier did not answer the phone after sending cryptic message

According to a missing person's report obtained by PEOPLE magazine, Collier told her daughter there was a house key in the blue flower pot by the door. After receiving the cryptic message, Collier's daughter immediately called her mom's phone. According to the report, Bearden's mom did not pick up. Police also called Collier's phone repeatedly, but the calls to her went straight to voicemail.

Collier, who had worked for Carriage House Realty in Athens, and her husband married back in 2013. According to WXIA-TV, she had worked for years at Carriage House Realty in Athens as the company's front office manager. The mom's Facebook page includes images of her family and the trips they took together.

Her friends and relatives declined to comment publicly about the mysterious murder case with the investigation ongoing. The dad and daughter told cops that this is unusual for Deborrah to do this. The pair told police that she had not done anything like this before. Calls to the grieving family were not returned on Monday. According to the report, Collier has no other family living in that area.