WAVELAND, Miss — A vehicle matching the description of one owned by a missing Madisonville woman was pulled from a body of water just off I-10 in Mississippi Friday afternoon and a body was inside, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office.
Courtney Johnson, 34, had been reported as missing since Tuesday when family members say she left her job in Baton Rouge to meet up with friends at a Biloxi-area casino but failed to show up.
The sheriff's office said detectives were searching for Johnson along the I-10 corridor in Mississippi when they observed an area where it appeared a vehicle had left the roadway.
Mississippi officials were notified and began searching in the body of water off the road about eight miles inside the Mississippi state line. Shortly after 2 p.m., Johnson's car, a 2016 Mazda 6, was recovered from the water and a body was inside.
The identity of the person found inside the car has not been determined, but, the sheriff's office said that foul play is not suspected.
“My thoughts and prayers go out the family and friends of Courtney during this difficult time,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.
Johnson did not make it to the Golden Nugget casino Tuesday. Somewhere along the way, her mom, Tracy Johnson, said it seems like she just disappeared.
She reportedly made a call at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to a friend while driving on Interstate-12. That’s the last time anyone spoke to her.
“There are so many things that run through your mind and you just want to cry but then you just want her to run into your arms. You want her to run into your arms. I do not wish this upon anybody to go through what we are going through,” said Johnson. “This is my one and only child. My one and only child.”
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