Body found in Athens belongs to missing woman

Adriana Castañeda

By Joe Johnson

A body that was discovered on Tuesday has been positively identified as being that of an Athens woman who two weeks ago was reported as being missing.

Athens-Clarke County police late Thursday p.m. afternoon said the body belongs to 38-year-old Kathwood Drive resident Adriana Castañeda.

The cause of the woman’s death was pending the results of an autopsy at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab.

Prior to receiving definitive answers from the Crime Lab’s findings, a police spokesman said that investigators believed that that Castañeda had possibly been murdered.

"We are not ruling anything out, including foul play," Lt. Shaun Barnett said.

The missing woman's body was found Tuesday morning by police officers who were conducting a search near a house at 110 Maple Forge Drive, at the corner of Lavender Road in the northwest area of the county.

The house is jointly owned by a couple who are going through a contested divorce.

The lawyer who is representing the wife said that he recently learned that the husband had left the country.

The man "just showed up in Mexico, which is concerning," the lawyer said.

Family members and friends of Castañeda early Thursday evening held a vigil at the site of where the body was discovered.

Police asked for anyone with information related to Castañeda’s disappearance and death to contact Detective Harrison at 762-400-7361 or david.harrison@accgov.com.