OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 has learned officials have found a body during the search for a missing elderly woman in Osceola County, but they aren't saying whether it is that of Ora "Lea" Hawkins, who was reported missing Saturday.
Relatives of Hawkins, 79, reported her missing after receiving a bizarre phone call.
Authorities found a body on the backside of the woman's home. Detectives said they're questioning individuals who they believe are involved, but they won't say who.
"We are calling this a suspicious death at this time. Her disappearance initially was suspicious," said Twis Lizasuain, a Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. "It has not yet been classified as a homicide."
Family members last saw Hawkins Saturday at noon. Shortly before 8:30 p.m., Hawkins called her daughter to say she was traveling to Colorado with Rose, a friend she met at Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in Saint Cloud.
Raw: Search for missing Osceola County woman
One of Hawkins’ daughters said her mother had never mentioned the friend before. Hawkins’ cellphone is turned off, which leads detectives to believe the disappearance is suspicious.
On Monday, a search warrant was served on Hawkins’ home on Lake Shore Drive. In addition to searching the home and a nearby wooded lot, detectives towed Hawkins’ vehicle from her garage.
http://twitter.com/SButlerWFTV/status/646068853697576960
Neighbors said they heard a gunshot around the time Hawkins was last heard from, but detectives aren’t sure if it’s related to her disappearance.
"I heard the choppers flying all night long," said neighbor Denny Hilton. "I just thought it was somebody on the loose. I didn't know what was going on."
"We're all a pretty close-knit family around here," Hilton said. "I never expected something like this."
It's believed that this is an isolated incident, Lizasuain said.
Property records show that one of Hawkins two daughters lives with her, but deputies haven't said if the those being questioned are related to the elderly woman.
Anyone with information is urged to call OCSO at 407-348-2222 or CrimeLine at 1-800-423-8477.