A Georgia man accused of strangling his girlfriend to death suffered a fatal heart attack and collapsed just a few feet from her body while allegedly attempting to conceal it in a nearby wooded area. Investigators described the scene as a grim case of fate intervening before the law could.
Authorities identified the pair as 44-year-old Daniel Robbins, of Macon, Georgia, and 47-year-old Jessica Folds, of Alabama.
Drag Marks, Running Truck and Two Bodies
The discovery was made on 10 June at around 12:20pm, when a passer-by reported seeing an abandoned pickup truck still running in the middle of County Road 86 in Lanett, Alabama, about 80 miles north-east of Montgomery.
Chambers County Sheriff Jeff Nelson said the passer-by also spotted the two bodies but initially believed they were mannequins.
Officers arriving at the scene found the truck still running, with the driver's door open and the tailgate lowered. Investigators also noticed drag marks leading from the rear of the vehicle into a nearby wooded area, where the bodies of Robbins and Folds were found just a few feet apart.
Officials said Folds was found with her hands above her head, while Robbins was lying nearby in a foetal position.
What the Autopsy Revealed
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation took over the case, and both bodies were transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for post-mortem examinations.
The autopsy determined that Folds died from strangulation.
'Based on the investigation, the female victim was strangled, and it appears the male was attempting to dispose of the body in a remote location,' Chambers County District Attorney Mike Segrest said in a statement.
Investigators believe Robbins strangled Folds at another location before transporting her body to the secluded site. Sheriff Nelson also said the wooded area was likely used only to dispose of the body rather than being the scene of the killing.
Robbins, meanwhile, died from a heart attack.
Segrest added: 'The male was attempting to dispose of the body in a remote location; he died of a heart attack while doing it. Their bodies were right there together.'
A local Georgia television station also spoke with Robbins' ex-wife, who said he had a known heart condition before his death, consistent with investigators' findings.
Possible Domestic Abuse Motive
Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but Segrest said investigators believe the case stemmed from a domestic incident involving the couple, who had been in a relationship before Folds' death.
Because the suspected perpetrator died, no criminal charges will be filed. Authorities said they have concluded their investigation into the deaths.
Meanwhile, loved ones paid tribute to Jessica Folds in her obituary, describing her as someone with a 'heart of gold' whose smile 'brightened the world.'
Folds is survived by her three sons, siblings, mother, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. A memorial service was held on 28 June 2026 at her mother's residence.
