Body found in manhole identified as woman missing since 2018
Published 9:12 am Wednesday, March 11, 2020
A body found in a Bessemer manhole has been identified as a woman missing from north Alabama for more than a year.
In late February, Bessemer officials discovered a decomposing body 10 feet down a manhole in the 3100 block of Exeter Alley in the west Jefferson County city. The discovery was made about 3:18 p.m., said Bessemer Police Chief Mike Roper.
The body was identified as that of Karen Joyce Scot who was last seen in December 2018. Her partially-skeletonized remains were discovered Feb. 25, 2020, by sewer workers.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office used dental records to identify Scott’s remains, according to local news reports
Bessemer police on Tuesday said Scott’s death is being investigated as a homicide. There is evidence Scott had been shot.
Prior to her disappearance, Scott was arrested in Marshall County on drug trafficking charges. Authorities have not said whether the arrest is a part of the death investigation.
