Human remains found in Valley Head identified as missing 19-year-old

VALLEY HEAD, Ala. (WAFF) - The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office has identified human remains found in a wooded area on March 23.

Sheriff Nick Weldon released the identity as 19-year-old Makenna Purvis.

Purvis was reported missing in Sept. 2022. Her last known location was near Inspect Drive in Valley Head. Investigators believe no foul play is suspected.

“This is such a terrible tragedy and I can not even begin to imagine the pain that this family is feeling at this time. Thank you to all that volunteered time to help search for this precious girl, we had all hoped and prayed for a different outcome. Please keep the family and friends of Makenna in your prayers for months to come,” Sheriff Nick Welden said.

Officials say the remains were found in a wooded area on the forest floors by Huntsville Search Dog Unit and Dekalb County Investigators. The remains were found off of Old Valley Head Road and Jack Cooper Drive at the base of Lookout Mountain about four miles off of I-59, officials say.

The JSU Center for Applied Forensics responded to assist and transported the remains to the Huntsville Forensic Lab for identification.

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