Missing woman’s body possibly found in shallow grave leads authorities on massive manhunt

HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Officials in Georgia say two men were arrested earlier in the week after investigators found human remains in a shallow grave in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

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In a news release, the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday they were contacted by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office about a possible murder in their jurisdiction. Investigators were sent to Hall County to speak with a person who had reported the possible homicide.

Around the same time, investigators in Rabun County received reports about a woman named Martha Angela Ledford, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators began looking into her case and found that she had been missing for around a week.

Later in the day, deputies along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations found a possible shallow grave in the Chattahoochee National Forest, according to WSB-TV. The next day, a K9 found human remains.

The remains have not yet been identified, according to the news outlet. The remains were sent over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab for positive identification.

Tuesday morning, a murder arrest warrant was obtained by Keegan Phillips, the sheriff’s office said. Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents, Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office agents, and FBI personnel were prepared to arrest Phillips but as investigators found him at a house in Hall County, he was reportedly being held at gunpoint by the homeowner. Just as deputies with Hall County arrived at the house, Phillips was able to escape and fled into the woods nearby.

Phillips was later arrested that evening and brought back to Rabun County, according to WSB.

As the investigation continued, Robert Lee Peppers was also arrested, according to the news outlet. He was charged with concealing a death and abandonment of a dead body.

It’s unclear how investigators made the connection between the human remains/missing person and the two suspects.