Missing woman's remains found near Catawba County creek

An investigation is underway in Catawba County after someone found human remains on Tuesday, deputies said.

A Duke Energy worker made the discovery in a wooded area of Sherrills Ford. The remains were found about 200 yards off of Highway 150 near a small creek.

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According to investigators, the worker alerted authorities once they found them. Deputies were called to the scene Tuesday and began looking for evidence. Investigators say they spent five hours at the scene.

On Thursday, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office identified the human remains as Eileen Michelle Lavery, 23.

The sheriff’s office says Lavery was reported as a missing person by the Winston-Salem Police Department, and she was last seen in March of 2023.

Authorities are looking into how Lavery got to the property off Highway 150, and the cause of her death is still under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

If you have information on Lavery’s disappearance, you’re asked to call 828-465-8340.

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