Missing teens found dead on County Line Road

The bodies found with a wrecked motorcycle Tuesday on Columbus’ County Line Road have been identified as the two teenagers missing since May 17.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed the two victims as James Cole and Sierra Von Der Heide, both 18.

Bryan said a man reported finding the bodies at 11:18 a.m. at 1101 County Line Road, about 2 miles from Cole’s residence on Leaf Brook Drive.

Their deaths were accidental, the coroner said: “Apparently they ran off the road and down an embankment.”

The bodies came to rest at a creek where they were hard to see from the road, he said.

“It was difficult to see the motorcycle and the remains. ... I know the Columbus Police Department did an extensive search,” said Bryan, who also stated that no autopsies will be conducted.

He said the teens likely died the night they were last seen leaving a party about a month ago.

Detective Richard Campbell, one of the officials with the Special Victims Unit who worked the case, said he was saddened that the search came to such a tragic end.

“I was hoping that we would find them alive, but unfortunately that was not the case,” Campbell said. “Right now, we’re just kind of mourning with the parents.”

The witness who found the bodies regularly walks each morning, and on Tuesday he happened to pass inside a guard rail there.

“First of all, there was a distinct odor, then he saw the motorcycle, and then started looking in the area and could see the remains of the wreckage and the bodies,” Bryan said.

They were about 20 feet down a ravine, he said: “It’s heavily wooded with a lot of weeds.”

The bodies will be taken to the county morgue, and no autopsy will be necessary, he said.

Authorities earlier said the two teens were last seen traveling on a purple motorcycle in the County Line Road area, and may also have been spotted in Phenix City’s Pumpkin Bottom neighborhood off South Rail Road Street.

Jennifer O’Connor, who befriended Heide after meeting her in 2014, said she was in disbelief when she learned about the deaths Tuesday afternoon. She was overcome with emotion as she described her friendship with Heide, who would often visit her and her child.

“She’d ride her RipStick down and come sit with us,” O’Connor said. “She’d hold my son, smile and spend time with him.”

O’Connor said she was looking forward to continuing her budding friendship with Heide, whom she described as an outgoing, loving person with a unique personality.

“Even though I didn’t get to know her very well, it still hurts because I did know her,” O’ Connor said as she started to shed tears. “... I was really looking forward to her coming home.”

Stephanie Cole, James’ mother, gave a statement thanking the officials who assisted in the missing persons investigation but declined to comment further.

“I'm going to thank Officer (William) Ragland and Detective Campbell so much for all that they've done,” the mother said. “And tell the police department how much I appreciated all that they've done for these kids.”

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Missing teens found dead on County Line Road."