Coroner: Body found near Riverwalk identified as Columbus woman

A woman's body found near 23rd Street in the Chattahoochee River has been identified as a 44-year-old Columbus woman, authorities said.

 Emmie Renee Scarbrough was  positively identified through photos and fingerprints just after 5 p.m., Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said.

The Columbus Department of Fire & Emergency Medical Services and Columbus Police Department were called to the scene along the Chattahoochee RiverWalk after her body floated up against the bank about 9 a.m.  The north and south bound sections of the path was blocked while authorities investigated the death.

The body will be taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab in Atlanta for an autopsy.

Described as white, Bryan said the woman was wearing a long-sleeve shirt and pants. He said it's difficult to determine how long the body had been in the water but it may have been there for several days.

Chief Deputy Coroner Freeman Worley arrived on the scene about 9:45 a.m. officials said. Fire officials removed the body from the river around 10:30 a.m., and ID technicians and police detectives arrived at the scene about 10 a.m.

The pavilion for years has been an unofficial camp for homeless people. Last month police in the city and city officials moved to restrict overnight homeless stays at the pavilion.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Coroner: Body found near Riverwalk identified as Columbus woman."