Shirley McClure as seen on her Facebook profile.
Culberson – Family members of 55-year-old Shirley McClure became concerned when they were unable to reach her on the phone. Worried that something might be wrong, on Jan. 11 they drove to her home, where they discovered her deceased body about 9:30 p.m.
According to the medical examiner, McClure died between Jan. 6-9. McClure’s social media says she worked as a certified nurse’s aide for Personal Touch Home Health Care after graduating from Tri-County Community College.
Sheriff Derrick Palmer said her manner of death has not yet been determined due to the degree of decomposition of her body. A homicide investigation has been launched.
“Our preliminary findings indicated that her death was not of natural causes,” he said, adding, “There was not a 911 call made from the home at the time of the incident.”
The police were not notified until after McClure’s family member discovered her body Jan. 11.
Palmer said his team, under the direct supervision of Lt. Tiffany Holland, has conducted multiple interviews with people of interest and “eliminated half of our list.” When asked if anything had been stolen from the house, he declined to answer but did reveal that McClure’s sky blue Nissan Rogue four-door car was missing from her residence.
Chief Deputy Joe Wood added that the car was recovered on U.S. 129 in Bellview near the Georgia line. The car was not damaged and is being forensically processed.
Investigators are following all leads and continuing to interview “people of interest,” but Palmer calls the crime a “whodunit,” explaining, “When there is no obvious motive or manner of death, it makes these cases harder to solve.”
Despite having no clear suspect in custody and no report from the medical examiner to reveal how she died, Palmer still believes the public is safe. He said all investigative units and patrol units have been working around-the-clock shifts since the body was discovered.
However, Palmer does caution the public to increase awareness of their surroundings, and to not park or walk in unlit areas at night. As an example, he performs a walk-through of his own house when arrives, just to make certain there are no intruders inside.
Palmer is asking everyone in the community to keep a watch over each other and report any suspicious activities. He has asked for the public to contact the authorities regarding:
- Anyone who may have seen McClure’s Nissan Rogue from 2-3 p.m. on Jan. 14.
- Anyone who may have seen somebody out of place or seemingly unfamiliar in the Old Culberson Road area or Bellview areas.
- Anyone who has heard information through rumor or social media postings.
- Anyone in the two-targeted neighborhoods who may have a house or doorbell camera with any relevant footage.
Palmer indicated that officials do not believe they are looking for more than one suspect. The sheriff’s office can be reached at 828-837-2589 or call non-emergency dispatch at 828-835-3144.