Pittsboro, NC – The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office has received confirmation that human skeletal remains found along the Haw River in September have been positively identified as Gwen Jenell Collins, 62, of Gibsonville, NC.
Ms. Collins, a 62-year-old black female standing at 5’1, was last seen wearing a pink night gown and is believed to be barefoot. The last known sighting of her was on August 9, 2024, at 6159-A Bellflower Road in Gibsonville, North Carolina between the hours of 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
A silver alert has been issued due to Ms. Collins’ cognitive impairments.
The remains were discovered by a kayaker on September 21, 2024, along the banks of the Haw River in
Chatham County. Chatham County Sheriff’s Office investigators, along with assistance from the Nash County Sheriff’s Office’s cadaver dogs, conducted a thorough search of the area, recovering additional human bones.
The North Chatham Fire Department’s swift water rescue team and Chatham County Emergency Management also contributed to the efforts.
Officials with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office believe Collins may have drowned or been swept away in a large creek near her home, which flows into the Haw River. Her remains were positively identified through medical records and bone comparisons conducted by the Medical Examiner’s Office.