Selma Police Department identify woman’s body found near Alabama River

Published 3:37 pm Saturday, January 9, 2021

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A woman was found dead on a road near the Alabama River Saturday.

Selma Police Chief Kenta Fulford said the body found was a white female by a local resident around 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Fulford said the deceased woman was identified as Betty J Mitchell, known as B.J. Mitchell by family and friends.

Fulford said the victim allegedly was pulled out of the river on the road that goes to Little Miami, a popular spot with fluffy, white mounds of sand.

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Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson said that Mitchell had been missing since Dec. 23. Mitchell is the wife of Dr. John E. Mitchell, a family practice physician at UAB Selma.

Fulford and Jackson said the victim’s body was sent to the Department of Forensics Science for an autopsy to find out the cause of death.

The case remains under investigation by the SPD.