Body Found During Search for Missing Sevier County Woman

UPDATED Friday, May 20, 2016

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the body found at a cell tower off Newport Highway is that of Jennifer Holmes. The medical examiner has yet to determine the cause and manner of death and the case is still under investigation.

Law enforcement officers searching for a woman missing since February found human remains Thursday morning.

According to the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Lynn Ledford Holmes indicated an area off Newport Highway (U.S. 411) in Sevierville might be where she was last seen. Investigators and a K-9 search team went to the area on May 19, 2016 to conduct a search and found an unidentified body at a cell tower about 10:15 a.m. that morning.

Sheriff’s Detectives then requested the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 4th Judicial District Attorney Generals Office and the Knox County Regional Forensics Center, where the remains were transported and an autopsy will be performed to determine the identity and cause of death.

A family member reported Holmes missing on April 16, 2016 after she had not been seen since Feb. 28, 2016. Investigators were unable to locate Holmes and on May 13 issued a missing person alert asking the public for help.

Jennifer Holmes is a 39-year-old white female, 5′ 2″ tall with brown hair and blue eyes.

Jennifer Lynn Ledford Holmes

Jennifer Lynn Ledford Holmes

Photos Holmes posted of herself on a GoFundMe account to raise money for medical expenses after she suffered an accident in October of last year show tattoos on her right arm, including a bright orange flower on her right shoulder.

Anyone with information about Jennifer Holmes is asked to contact the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 865-428-1899.