ALPHARETTA, GA – Authorities have arrested three suspects in connection with the disappearance and death of a 20-year-old Georgia woman whose remains were discovered in Tennessee. Maury-Ange Martinez, who was reported missing in August 2023 from Gwinnett County, was found on January 5 in a wooded area near Chattanooga, according to the Cobb County Police Department.
The Hamilton County medical examiner confirmed that the remains belonged to Martinez, though the cause of death has not yet been disclosed. Martinez’s mother, Anita Darling, received the heartbreaking news on Mother’s Day.
“I want to know what happened to my daughter. It doesn’t cure the loss by any means, but it fills a hole that my brain doesn’t have to make up what happened for the rest of our lives,” Darling said.
Authorities have charged Allen Kerr, Sean Deshazer, and Jasmine Craig with concealing a death, a felony. Kerr, 32, and Deshazer, 27, were already in custody on unrelated charges, while Craig was apprehended in a different jurisdiction.
Deshazer faces multiple drug charges, including possession of cocaine and marijuana, trafficking in illegal drugs, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime. Kerr is held on suspicion of drug and weapons possession and willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Cobb County investigators are collaborating with Hamilton County police to uncover the circumstances surrounding Martinez’s death. Authorities have not yet revealed any possible connections between Martinez and the three suspects.