INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Who Killed Jacqueline Watts? Indianapolis Woman’s Body Found On River Sandbar

By Rahul Srinivas
Published on: 08:43 PST, Mar 4, 2017

The body of Jacqueline Watts, a 33-year-old woman from Indianapolis who went missing earlier this week, was found on a river sandbar under mysterious circumstances.

According to a report by The Republic, the search for Watts started on Friday after family members reported her missing. According to Jenn Warrs Barrie, Jacqueline’s sister-in-law, Jacqueline was supposed to fly to Washington D.C on Friday night with her husband. However, she did not return home to Indianapolis after she dropped the family dogs at her mother-in-law’s home. After family members had been unable to establish contact with her, they contacted local police authorities who started a massive search operation to find her whereabouts. Watts was described as a 5’5? tall woman who weighed around 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing black stretch pants and a gray shirt.

According to officials from the Columbus Police Department, Jacqueline’s body was found on Saturday shortly after a ground search was launched to locate her. In a news conference, officials revealed that her body was found at around 8:30 a.m, local time on Saturday on a sandbar less than half a mile from where her abandoned car was found.

According to eyewitnesses, the car was found with its engine running, flashers on and doors open at 2300 Riverside Drive, located near the intersection of Washington and 25th streets in Columbus. The car also contained Jacqueline’s purse and mobile phone. Following the discovery of Jacqueline’s body, the car was towed away from the scene for further investigation. The car was located after police officials received a call that reported a suspicious vehicle.

According to investigators, the sandbar where Watts’ body was located was close to homes that back up to the Flat Rock River. A preliminary investigation into the incident has already been launched, and officials have not revealed anything about the circumstances that could have led to Watts’ death. They, however, added that the cause if death would only be determined after an autopsy was conducted by Bartholomew County Coroner Clayton Nolting. According to Lt. Matt Harris of the Columbus Police Department, currently, they are still evaluating all possibilities that led to Jacqueline’s mysterious death and did not clarify if they suspected any foul play.

“At this point, we’re not sure.We’re going to follow where the facts lead us,” Harris said.

Harris also urged the public and the media houses to respect the family’s privacy.

“Our focus right now is supporting the family and making sure that we’re doing everything right. With an investigation of this course you have to get it right the first time,” the officer further added.

Harris also alleged that a lot of misinformation was being spread about the case through social media channels -including Facebook and Twitter.

“We want to caution folks and urge them to think twice before they post this information on social media or to other outlets that may not be accurate,” said Lt. Harris.

A Columbus East High School graduate, Watts, and her husband were residents of Columbus. Jacqueline’s mother-in-law was a well-known teacher who had retired only a few days ago.

In case you know have any information that could help the police with the investigation, you may contact the police dispatch at 812-379-1689.

[Featured Image By Prath/Shutterstock]

Share this article: Who Killed Jacqueline Watts? Indianapolis Woman’s Body Found On River Sandbar
Crime murder
More from Inquisitr