Alabama Investigators Say 44-Year-Old Died Hiding Girlfriend's Body After Strangling Her

Q: A murderer's body was found next to his victim. What crucial evidence is missing from this Alabama crime scene?

The key missing evidence is the original murder scene and the forensic trail that would have been left there. Authorities have said the wooded area in Lanett appears to have been a dump site, not the place where Jessica Folds was killed. That means the most important physical evidence tied directly to the strangling — blood, fibers, fingerprints, signs of a struggle, surveillance, and witness links from the actual location of the killing — was not present at the spot where both bodies were found. Another likely gap is direct forensic evidence from the act of strangulation itself. In strangulation cases, visible injuries can be minimal or absent, and investigators often need internal autopsy findings, trace evidence, and possible DNA from the victim’s neck or clothing to firmly reconstruct what happened. The reports confirm autopsy findings showed Folds was strangled, but they do not identify any recovered murder weapon or publicly describe DNA evidence tying Robbins’ hands or clothing to the fatal assault. So while investigators appear to have a strong working theory — that Robbins killed Folds, then died of a heart attack while trying to dispose of her body — the crucial missing piece from the discovery site is the evidence that would normally come from the true crime scene.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29

Autopsies found Daniel Robbins, 44, died of a heart attack while trying to dispose of Jessica Folds' body after fatally strangling her, Alabama authorities said.
Chambers County deputies found both bodies on June 10 in woods near Lanett beside an abandoned truck that was still running, with the driver's door open, tailgate down and drag marks leading into the trees.
District Attorney Mike Segrest said investigators believe the couple, who had been in a relationship, died the previous night and that Folds, 47, was killed in an act of domestic violence.
The case closed with both deaths at the scene, leaving a homicide finding against Robbins and no criminal prosecution to follow.