Investigation underway after body found in Gallia County, Ohio

According to Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin, the body was discovered around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in an outdoor area in Crown City’s village limits near the Gallia-Lawrence County line. Deputies say the body has been determined to be female.

Champlin says that while the body will need to be further examined to be properly identified, authorities believe from the initial investigation that the deceased could be a woman who was recently reported missing.

“The Gallia County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this case, including the disappearance, cause and manner of death, and the condition in which the deceased was located,” Champlin said.

The sheriff says his office is collaborating with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation in this case, and no further details are being released at this time.