Body identified as Lincolnton woman missing since 2015
A badly decomposed body found by a city of Lincolnton crew working on a sewer line was identified on Friday as a Lincolnton woman reported missing in 2015.
An autopsy at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem positively identified the remains as those of Patricia Linn Loveless, Lincolnton police said. A pathologist used medical records and X-rays of Loveless to make the identification.
The city workers found the remains on Wednesday off Hollis Henderson Road. Items recovered at the scene matched items Loveless bought the day she disappeared in March 2015, police said.
Police and members of the Lincoln County Special Operations Land/Water Search and Rescue team conducted numerous searches for Loveless throughout 2015. A friend reported her missing.
No cause of death has been determined, but no evidence indicates foul play, police said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Lincolnton Police Detective Brent Heavner at 704-736- 8900.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 3:44 PM with the headline "Body identified as Lincolnton woman missing since 2015."