Missing woman's roommates charged after body discovered behind Peach County home
Roommates of a woman who went missing in December have been charged with concealing a death after a body was found in a shed behind their home.
Amanda Peeples, 37, who also goes by the last name Burnam, was reported missing Dec. 19 by her roommate, 60-year-old David Earl Arrington.
Arrington and fellow roommate Lee Michael Rodriquez, 35, were also charged with tampering with evidence and providing false statements, Peach County Sheriff Terry Deese said Friday.
Deese said he's 99.9 percent sure that the body found Feb. 23 in a storage building behind the home at 143 Sherwood Blvd. off U.S. 41 near Dunbar Road is that of Peeples.
The body is at a GBI crime lab for forensics testing. Experts hope to make a positive identification through DNA and dental records.
"It's just sad to believe that we've got people out there willing to dispose of a human body like you would a bag of trash and then sleep within matters of feet of where they disposed of the body," Deese said. "It's kind of disheartening."
The cause of death also remains under investigation. Without a cause of death, Deese said he cannot say whether or not they're dealing with a homicide.
Arrington and Rodriquez have given statements to authorities.
"There's been no admissions or anything," Deese said. "There was just evidence to lead us to believe that these two had something to do with the concealing of the body."
The body was found underneath numerous items inside the shed by the property owner who investigated after smelling a foul odor. Deese said it's not known how long the body had been in the shed.
Authorities have statements from people that say they've been in the shed since Peeples went missing and did not notice the body, Deese said.
Peach County Coroner Kerry Rooks said it's possible that when it was cold, there wasn't any odor.
"But I don't believe just all the sudden there got to be an odor," Rooks said. "I think if you had walked in there in the shed, in my opinion, that you would have smelled something before they found (the body). ... I would say there had been an odor long before (the body) was found."
Arrington told a Peach County sheriff's deputy that Peeples was last seen Dec. 16 outside of the residence waiting on a ride from someone to go to Macon, according to the missing person report filed with the sheriff's office.
Arrington described Peeples as "very intoxicated" on alcohol and Xanex prescription medication and "not acting herself," according to the report. He also told the deputy that it was "very unusual" for Peeples to be gone that long and not contact anyone
"Mr. Arrington told me all of (Peeples') belongings to include her purse with all of her personal identification, keys, cellphone, and pregnant dog were left at the residence. .... (Peeples) left with only the clothes she was wearing, the report said.
Arrington said Peeples was last seen wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and multicolored shoes.
The deputy checked midstate hospitals and with other law enforcement agencies to no avail.
The GBI assisted in the investigation.
Arrington and Rodriquez were being held without bond Friday at the Peach County Law Enforcement Center.
This story was originally published March 2, 2018 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Missing woman's roommates charged after body discovered behind Peach County home."