Tammy Fortson disappeared from the Fox Chase Court area of Conyers, Georgia, in 1997, leaving behind a family with no answers and a police file that slowly went cold. Nearly two decades later, in 2016, skeletal remains were discovered near Christian Circle. Investigators believed the remains could be connected to a missing person case, but confirming an identity proved far more difficult than finding the remains themselves.
The remains were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, a nationally recognized lab that handles some of the most challenging forensic DNA work in the country. Years passed without a positive match. Then in 2024, a detective re-engaged the lab, coordinating with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and a medical examiner to push the analysis forward. This past July, the work paid off. The remains were confirmed to be Fortson’s.
The Conyers Police Department called the identification a significant milestone in a case that had remained unresolved for many years, adding that while it cannot erase the pain her family has endured, they hope it provides some answers and allows the investigation to move forward. The circumstances of Fortson’s death remain under investigation, and the Newton County Sheriff’s Office is still accepting tips. Have you ever followed a cold case in your own community? Tell us in the comments.
