Missing woman found dead in rural Alabama county

FAYETTE, Ala. (AP) — Authorities in Alabama have found the body of a woman reported missing several weeks ago.

News outlets report Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigators found the body of 31-year-old Ashley Tennell Watkins on Wednesday.

Deputies say Watkins left her mother’s home with her dog on Dec. 9 to visit a friend in Fayette and never returned. It’s unclear what happened to the dog.

Watkins’ cause of death is pending an autopsy.