Shannon McCarthy, Sheppard’s partner, had already been facing battery charges that stemmed from an incident in January, and the judge revoked her bond due to the fact that the victim had been found deceased.
Though the police have not yet identified the human remains as Sheppard, according to FirstCoast News, her daughter confirmed her mother’s death and stated that the remains found were her mother’s.
At 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, officers from Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were following up on the missing person’s case when they made the shocking discovery of the decomposing remains.
Authorities were called to the scene, and officers are treating the incident as a death investigation. According to reports, neighbors had noted that they could smell a “foul odor” in the area.
Sheppard had last been seen on Colonial Avenue last Thursday, and her family reported that her phone was turned off, her credit cards were missing, and that they found her truck with a bullet hole in it. McCarthy and Sheppard had been in a relationship since November 2022, and McCarthy was arrested for the incident in January.