ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators found an infant’s remains buried in a wooden box, leading to one arrest and warrants for a second person, according to the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office.
Audra Summerville was arrested and charged with concealing the death of another. Warrants on the same charge have been issued for Joshua Sewell.
The investigation began Sept. 29, when investigators received information that an infant had been buried on the property several months earlier. Authorities obtained a search warrant and worked with Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents to locate a possible burial site using witness statements, a cadaver dog, a drone, and ground-probing equipment.
During excavation, investigators found a wooden box buried several feet underground. The sheriff’s office said the box contained human remains consistent with a nearly full-term infant. The remains were sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for examination.
Investigators were told the infant was stillborn, wrapped in a towel and kept in a closet inside the home for a couple of days before being buried in a specially built wooden box. The sheriff’s office did not release any medical findings confirming that account.
Elbert County Coroner Chuck Almond acknowledged the difficulty of the case and praised those involved.
“That was a tough call for all who responded,” he said.
The investigation remains active.
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