Florida Mother Found In Shallow Grave 9 Days After Going Missing

A Florida woman has been found dead in a shallow grave more than a week after going missing.

Nyeisha Nelson, 20, was last seen dropping her 5-year-old daughter off at school in Crescent City, Fla. on Feb. 11, Putnam County Sheriff's Office Col. Joseph Wells said at a Tuesday press conference. She never came back to pick her up.

Nelson lived in an area with spotty cell service and much of her family is out of state, so it was common for loved ones to go several days without hearing from her, Wells said. But when six days had passed without a word from Nelson, her family began to worry. She was reported missing on Feb. 17.

A day later, investigators found her car abandoned in a wooded area, Wells said. And on Feb. 20, they found a body buried in a shallow grave on a fern farm.

Investigators were initially hesitant to announce the body as Nelson’s, but fingerprints confirmed their suspicions, Wells said. Nelson was declared dead by homicide on Tuesday.

“We do not believe that is was a random case. We do not believe there is any threat to the community,” Wells said. “The investigation is suggesting at this point that she knew the offender.”

Wells did not name any persons of interest in this case or give the manner of Nelson’s death.

Nelson worked as a hairdresser in Crescent City and was well-liked in the small community, Wells said. Her daughter is currently staying with Nelson's grandmother, Josephine Blocker.

“I can’t get too upset and show a whole lot of emotion, you know, to try to keep the baby calm, because she’s only 5, and she senses a lot of stuff going on,” Blocker told WJAX-TV.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at (386) 329-0800 or CrimeStoppers at 1-888-277-8477.