Missing Woman Found Dead 2 Months After Moving to a New City — and Police Suspect Foul Play

A woman who disappeared earlier this month was found dead in a wooded area in a case authorities believe involves foul play. 

Joyce Gomez, 38, was last seen late in the evening on Friday, April 25, in Bay St. Louis, Miss., the Pass Christian Police Department said in a statement. 

Police, alongside the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, began investigating her disappearance on Saturday. 

During the investigation, Pass Christian authorities determined there was possible foul play involved in her disappearance, per the statement. 

This information led the sheriff’s office to locate Gomez’s body on Sunday, Pass Christian police said.

According to Gomez’s Facebook profile, she moved to Pass Christian in February.

She is being remembered by her friends, one of whom wrote: “[Please] wake me from this dream. I will miss u forever Joyce Gomez . You was an amazing friend that was always so nice to me. May you find rest and know justice will be done.”

“Heartbroken doesn’t even begin to cover it,” wrote another user. “Joyce Gomez was a wonderful person, a great mom and an amazing friend.”

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No further details surrounding the investigation were available.

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” police Chief Daren Freeman said, adding that they are expecting an arrest, per the Sun Herald. 

As of Monday afternoon, authorities had not announced any arrests. The Pass Christian police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.