Two years later, skeleton of female found behind Wadesboro Armory remains unidentified

WADESBORO — Frustration and concerns remain over the skeleton of a female discovered in the Wadesboro woods back on May 12, 2022.

The remains were located behind the National Guard Armory mostly intact, with clothing still clinging to the bones. A land survey conducted at the time behind the Armory resulted in the discovery of the remains.

Scant information has been released to the public, and seemingly only through the government website for missing persons, www.namus.gov According to information posted on the website the unidentified female was found wearing a black Secret Treasures bra, size 34C, with some type of hose or leggings present. Due to deterioration, neither the size nor color of the hose/leggings can be determined.

Of interest in the case are a series of trail cam stills of an unknown white female during the nighttime hours of August 22, 2021. The female first appears on the trail cam at 1:33 a.m. and 1:34 a.m. In the first image she can just barely be seen on the right side of the picture and in the second she is not visible at all, leading to speculation that she may have been running at the time.

The same female is later seen on the same trail camera, coming from the opposite way, between 4:30 and 4:31 a.m. In the three images taken during this period, the female is moving slower with what appears to be a noticeable limp. She is also carrying a large walking stick that could not be seen on the images taken at 1:33 a.m. In all of the images the female is wearing only a bra and a pair of muddy leggings.

Another intriguing aspect is a backpack located in the woods by rabbit hunters in February 2022 near the location were the remains were found. The hunters allegedly report finding the backpack and removing money from it. It has been reported that the hunters alerted police to the whereabouts of the backpack, though neither they nor investigators were able to locate the backpack when they returned to search for it.

This case was brought to the attention of the Anson Record due to an outpouring of concern and tips shared after the www.namus.gov post. One tip involved a Lenoir woman, April Michele Reid, missing since March 20, 2021, who has been confirmed to not be the unidentified Wadesboro body.April Michelle Reid was last seen in the Hickory area on February 28, 2021 and often required a walking stick to assist her. However, since her case was called into the tip line in relation to the unidentified remains found in Wadesboro, Reid has been ruled out due to dental records.

Another missing woman, from Bullhead City, AZ, is still being considered as a possible identity for the remains. Amber Rae Johnston was headed to Myrtle Beach traveling by bus and was reported as not getting back on the bus she was traveling on when it stopped in Winston Salem. It has been reported that Johnston’s cell phone last pinged in the Charlotte area, roughly 54 miles from the location of the remains.

Scott Sharpe, a Bullhead City detective who is in charge of investigating Johnston’s case, said she cannot be ruled out as a possibility at this time.

“We are aware of the possible connection to the remains in Wadesboro and I am in contact with the detective assigned to the case in Wadesboro daily. What I can tell you is that we cannot confirm or rule out Amber… DNA takes time,” shared Detective Sharpe.

Both Johnston and Reid currently remain missing at this time. While Reid may not be the female located in Wadesboro, her family is still desperate to locate her. The women physically resemble each other, both were associated with the area, are roughly the same age and have children.

No other additional information is available and the Anson County Sheriff’s Office has declined to share any further details at this time. If anyone has any information on any of these cases please contact the Anson County Sheriff’s Office. More information can be found on all three cases on the website www.namus.gov