Mystery grows over who left an unidentified body at funeral home, NC police say

A macabre investigation is underway in southeastern North Carolina, after one body too many showed up at funeral home.

Among the many mysteries in the case is the identity of the dead woman – and how she got inside a securely locked building on Fayetteville’s Raeford Road, the Fayetteville Police Department said in a Dec. 3 case update.

The odd discovery was made in May, and police released a sketch this week in hopes someone might recognize the woman.

“Between the time frame of May 15 – 19, 2025, the unidentified elderly female was dropped off by an unknown person, by unknown means and left inside of a funeral home,” police said in a news release.

“The funeral home was secured when the unidentified elderly female was dropped off. Funeral home personnel discovered the elderly female did not have the proper paperwork and law enforcement was contacted.”

A plea for tips from the public has yet to provide any leads.

For now, the investigation is being handled as a missing person’s case. However, no one fitting the woman’s description is listed in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS), officials said.

Details of how the woman died have not been released.

She was likely age 65 or older and the body shows evidence of a recent medical procedure at the abdomen, police said. The woman is missing all her teeth and one of her toes. Investigators suspect she might be Native American or Hispanic.

“Our goal is to restore this woman’s identity and provide her family with the information and services she and they deserve,” police Capt. Shawn Strepay said in the news release.

“We do not suspect foul play. This is about ensuring a member of our community is treated with dignity and respect. We are hopeful someone will recognize her so she may be taken to a proper final resting place.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Holly Vernon with the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-758-6700.

Fayetteville is about a 65-mile drive southwest from downtown Raleigh.

This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 12:11 PM with the headline "Mystery grows over who left an unidentified body at funeral home, NC police say."