Statewide attention drawn to body found in Bastrop County

The body of a woman found in Bastrop County is drawing attention: from all across the state. Agencies are anxious to find a connection and bring a family some closure.

On May 12th the owner of the property behind the Berdoll Pecan shop along Highway 71 west of Bastrop called the sheriff's office to report a foul smell.

Deputies found a headless body about 100 yards from the intersection of Berdoll Loop and Berdoll Lane. Three days later, during another sweep of the area, deputies located a skull.

"It was extended stages of decomposition so we were able to identify even at the time it was a male or female. The medical examiner determined it was a female. But we still don't know race or who the person is,” said Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sissy Jones.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Sissy Jones says investigators first looked within their own missing person reports to try and find a possible match.

The Department of Public Safety Texas Missing Persons Clearinghouse lists one woman for Bastrop County, last seen in Smithville in November of 2015.

Jones says there were no links. So, investigators turned to outside agencies.

DPS lists 20 missing women in Travis County. The most recent was last seen in Austin in April.

"That was negative. Then other agencies started calling us,” said Jones.

Jones says investigators from the Richardson Police Department up by Dallas called, a San Antonio area agency and the Onalaska Police Department out in East Texas.

"I specifically answered that phone call and I was really excited that we might be able to help another home town of mine. That's where my family lives. It was a negative result,” said Jones.

Jones says she is also hearing from worried family members who maybe waited longer than they should have to report a missing loved one.

"If you don't want to report your loved one missing because it's common not to speak for three or four weeks, I understand that, but call us. These are the identifiers I have. My loved one had a tattoo or pierced ears, like that. Can you just rule it out, we just want to make sure because it will help us in the end,” said Jones.

So far, all calls have been an elimination process, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"At least they can move onto the next possible case that they have and see if they can find someone else,” said Jones.