By Joe Johnson
The woman whose body was found in an Athens field last week has been identified as Kristen Caswell, 35, who was described as somewhat of a nomad who last stayed at the Bulldog Inn, not too far from where her body was discovered.
Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson said that Caswell checked into the motel a couple of days before her body reportedly was found by a utility worker on Nov. 20 in the utility’s power line right-of-way off the 1200 block of Commerce Road.
Some of her belongings were found still to be at the motel, according to Wilson.
The coroner has been unable to locate any next-of-kin for Caswell, who he said apparently originally came from Texas, where her Social Security card was issued.
The woman “moved around quite a bit,” according to Wilson, who said that locally, Caswell had lived in Carnesville and Jefferson, as well as on Highland Park Place in Athens, among other places.
After Caswell’s body was discovered Athens-Clarke County police said they had a tentative identity, which Wilson said was confirmed by her fingerprints.
Athens-Clarke County police Capt. Christopher Nichols said that investigators found no indication that foul play figured into Caswell’s death.
““However,” he said, “the body has been sent to the GBI Crime Lab Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.”