Found Deceased TN - Shelby Hubbard, 24, left without purse & phone, Dyersburg, Dyer County, 15 Feb 2019

[Deleted member 158085]

Hi, everyone. I joined this forum just to give this tragic update. Shelby’s body was found yesterday, 03/26/19, at 5:57 pm. Her body was in a remote, wooded location just a VERY short distance from her house. Not a lot of information has been given out currently, but a lot of talk is going on in my small hometown from her family members, family friends, and friends of Shelby’s.

I was Shelby’s class partner in every class that we had together, and I was also Shelby’s friend. She was so smart, beautiful, brave, and encouraging. This is heartbreaking.

Her mama (who is a wonderful woman) came into my significant other’s work a week and a half ago. Her mom asked my SO to please take flyers of Shelby’s disappearance and pass them out to customers. My SO, knowing that I was once close to Shelby, obviously agreed and asked her mom if she had been given any updates by police. Her mom said that she hadn’t heard much at all, but she knew that Shelby wouldn’t leave without letting someone know that she was going, and she wouldn’t go without leaving behind a note at least.

I agree with that 100%. Shelby was the type of person that never wanted to hurt others. She was very considerate of everyone. If she had left to commit suicide (which I did think was highly possible knowing our private talks throughout previous years and her current stressful situation) — she would’ve left a suicide letter. She wouldn’t want her family to worry or wonder about what happened to her.

The night that she went missing, the area where her body was found was completely flooded. She left everything behind that she surely would’ve taken if she was planning on going somewhere, and she couldn’t have easily gone on foot to the place where her body was found due to the flood.

Now, I told you that not much information has been released yet, but everyone is suspecting that she was murdered. NOT ONLY HAS THE DA TURNED THE CASE OVER TO THE TBI CRIME SCENE UNIT, but people have been mentioning on social media (some that claim to have been in the search party) that the area where her body was found had already been searched, and a search dog was amongst the search team. They’re saying that her body was more than likely placed there. I don’t know if this is true, but I can’t see how the area where Shelby was found hadn’t been searched yet. It had to have been! I know where her house is. I know the area where her body was found. It’s too close for her body to not be found sooner... if not immediately.

I can’t really comment on the stressful situation that Shelby had been going through before she went missing because it’s very vague to me, but I think she posted on Facebook about issues/trouble with the college that she was attending in another state? She deleted her Facebook before she went missing — how soon before... I don’t know.

It’s so crazy to process. I wish I could go back in time and warn her if it was a homocide. I mean, why would the DA turn it over to the TBI CSU if they didn’t suspect foul-play?

PLEASE, if you know of the Facebook page that was made for Shelby’s disappearance, DON’T POST ON IT. For her family’s sake, comments about Shelby being murdered and even condolences are being deleted frequently. My hometown is so small that people are actually posting about her being the body that was found, and everyone is posting theories and asking questions about what happened on there. Her sweet family is grieving.

If anyone wants updates then I’ll try to give them as more comes out about this. If you do pray then please pray for her family and friends. She was an amazing girl that didn’t deserve anything bad to happen to her... not that anyone does, but Shelby was truely the most wonderful human being that we need more of in the world.

Just wanted to update you all in case you’ve been following this...

I’m so sorry. I suspected foul play. I hope that now that she’s been found the perpetrator will be caught.

 

[Dre]

TBI investigating after woman’s body found in Dyer County

 

[Dre]

So sad to read this. I really hope the family is able to get answers very soon.
The light that people take from this world is just astounding to me... Ill be thinking of Shelby

 

[flowerchild94]

Thanks everyone. I hope she wasn’t murdered because it’s too hard to think about that. One news article said that police claim “she was last seen walking away from a home”? A home that was near where her body was found? I haven’t heard that. In fact, I’ve heard that she was last seen in her home before her mom went to bed.

After they found her body yesterday they had to just leave her there in that spot overnight because the TBI got here when it was too dark. The area was sealed off. It probably still is.

 

[flowerchild94]

Oh! Also, her parents said that they went throughout that wooded area and the entire neighborhood after she went missing. They never saw her body, and her dad was in the navy. He probably went to extreme measures while trying to find her.

 

[zencompass]

Deeply saddening to hear.

My heart is with Ms. Hubbard's family and friends and all who loved her.

May they hold one another close with love and support during this unfathomable time.

 

[AnnaGrace]

So sad. My thoughts are with all who loved her.

 

[flowerchild94]

I have a few minor updates, but I don’t know if y’all want to keep hearing them because I don’t really know how this site works. Do you want to know via the media when everything becomes publicly confirmed (which the news outlets still haven’t confirmed Shelby to be the body that was found though the family has said it was her), or would you rather know what is/said to be going on with the case right now?

I’ll make this my last update if you don’t want anymore, or if I don’t hear anything substantial.

Of course, her family had to identify the body that was found. Apparently, at first they found it difficult due to... alleged environmental and possible wildlife causes. Her family eventually identified, though. I don’t know what she was wearing, what prompted the DA to call in the TBI, or what made the family know it was her (aside from her signature hair and location that would be obvious give-aways).

The body that was found was allegedly still there at 9 am yesterday because the TBI hadn’t transported her. I know MANY people that live in that neighborhood that said that the TBI wasn’t on site there even after sunrise. The sun comes up a few hours before 9 am. The TBI could’ve been on scene earlier. I don’t know why it took them so long to gather everything and transport her, but I’m hoping that’s a good sign because they might’ve been taking in a bunch of evidence around the scene.

I would think, IF it wasn’t a suicide, that a lot of evidence would be washed away by now because of the rain/floods. Footprints probably wouldn’t be there anymore, and I’m unsure if automobile/4-wheeler tracks would be intact either. Shelby wasn’t overweight at all, but she was very muscular and had a strong-build. She was fit as heck and a great runner + soccer player. We all know that carrying someone is much more difficult when they go limp, and unless she committed suicide... someone would’ve had to use some type of transport to get her to where the body was found. It’s a short distance from her house, but it would be too long of a distance to carry a muscular deceased body without struggling — ESPECIALLY IN FLOODED, UNEVEN LAND.

The current flood that was going on when she went missing (and all of the floods after) brought another question to my mind. If Shelby walked out of her home, went into the woods, and she committed suicide — how would they not have found her body sooner due to how the body works after dying? She was being searched for right after she went missing, and that area was searched.

If it wasn’t suicide then I have a theory much like someone else previously posted on this thread. Shelby could’ve gone missing late on Valentine’s Day night or in the early hours of the following morning. I wondered if someone that she had been talking to (possibly online or someone she knew in real life) told her that they had a Valentine’s present for her, she went outside expecting to meet up with that someone, and she was taken against her will after walking out of her house or getting in their car. Shelby was attending college in another state, and she came home for a reason.

My other theories are:

2.) She committed suicide. I don’t want to elaborate, but this was my first thought when I immediately found out that she was missing. I just really think that she would leave a note, ask for help, or tell someone before she committed suicide. Could she have come home to commit suicide? I would think that if she planned to come home to commit suicide then she definitely would’ve left a note because it would’ve been planned instead of impulse.

3.) She was a runner so maybe she went jogging in her neighborhood at night to clear her head from all of the stress she had going on, and she was taken against her will by someone nearby.

4.) Someone had been watching her, planning to abduct her, and they seized their chance when she went outside for whatever reason.

5.) I am not for sure, which is why I said earlier that this is vague to me because Shelby’s Facebook posts about this are gone since she deleted her FB, but I think she was having a legal dispute with her out-of-state college due to racial discrimination. If she had some dirt/evidence on someone with power at that college then she could’ve been killed so the issue would go away? That seems like a far stretch to me, though. She might’ve come home because of legal issues that she was battling with her college. I don’t know yet.

My hometown is known for never solving murders, and I know most of the past victims or their family members. I don’t want this case to turn out like the rest. I wish the news outlets would state Shelby’s name instead of saying “unidentified female body found” when her family has confirmed it was Shelby. Stupidly... it gives me false hope. I, and many others, keep thinking “well maybe it’s not Shelby”.

I know the DA, and I don’t think he’d call in the TBI unless he suspected something, but maybe he called them in so this case would be ruled out as a homocide and closed? Keep praying if you do pray, y’all.

 

[mzufall]

I have a few minor updates, but I don’t know if y’all want to keep hearing them because I don’t really know how this site works. Do you want to know via the media when everything becomes publicly confirmed (which the news outlets still haven’t confirmed Shelby to be the body that was found though the family has said it was her), or would you rather know what is/said to be going on with the case right now?

I’ll make this my last update if you don’t want anymore, or if I don’t hear anything substantial.

Of course, her family had to identify the body that was found. Apparently, at first they found it difficult due to... alleged environmental and possible wildlife causes. Her family eventually identified, though. I don’t know what she was wearing, what prompted the DA to call in the TBI, or what made the family know it was her (aside from her signature hair and location that would be obvious give-aways).

The body that was found was allegedly still there at 9 am yesterday because the TBI hadn’t transported her. I know MANY people that live in that neighborhood that said that the TBI wasn’t on site there even after sunrise. The sun comes up a few hours before 9 am. The TBI could’ve been on scene earlier. I don’t know why it took them so long to gather everything and transport her, but I’m hoping that’s a good sign because they might’ve been taking in a bunch of evidence around the scene.

I would think, IF it wasn’t a suicide, that a lot of evidence would be washed away by now because of the rain/floods. Footprints probably wouldn’t be there anymore, and I’m unsure if automobile/4-wheeler tracks would be intact either. Shelby wasn’t overweight at all, but she was very muscular and had a strong-build. She was fit as heck and a great runner + soccer player. We all know that carrying someone is much more difficult when they go limp, and unless she committed suicide... someone would’ve had to use some type of transport to get her to where the body was found. It’s a short distance from her house, but it would be too long of a distance to carry a muscular deceased body without struggling — ESPECIALLY IN FLOODED, UNEVEN LAND.

The current flood that was going on when she went missing (and all of the floods after) brought another question to my mind. If Shelby walked out of her home, went into the woods, and she committed suicide — how would they not have found her body sooner due to how the body works after dying? She was being searched for right after she went missing, and that area was searched.

If it wasn’t suicide then I have a theory much like someone else previously posted on this thread. Shelby could’ve gone missing late on Valentine’s Day night or in the early hours of the following morning. I wondered if someone that she had been talking to (possibly online or someone she knew in real life) told her that they had a Valentine’s present for her, she went outside expecting to meet up with that someone, and she was taken against her will after walking out of her house or getting in their car. Shelby was attending college in another state, and she came home for a reason.

My other theories are:

2.) She committed suicide. I don’t want to elaborate, but this was my first thought when I immediately found out that she was missing. I just really think that she would leave a note, ask for help, or tell someone before she committed suicide. Could she have come home to commit suicide? I would think that if she planned to come home to commit suicide then she definitely would’ve left a note because it would’ve been planned instead of impulse.

3.) She was a runner so maybe she went jogging in her neighborhood at night to clear her head from all of the stress she had going on, and she was taken against her will by someone nearby.

4.) Someone had been watching her, planning to abduct her, and they seized their chance when she went outside for whatever reason.

5.) I am not for sure, which is why I said earlier that this is vague to me because Shelby’s Facebook posts about this are gone since she deleted her FB, but I think she was having a legal dispute with her out-of-state college due to racial discrimination. If she had some dirt/evidence on someone with power at that college then she could’ve been killed so the issue would go away? That seems like a far stretch to me, though. She might’ve come home because of legal issues that she was battling with her college. I don’t know yet.

My hometown is known for never solving murders, and I know most of the past victims or their family members. I don’t want this case to turn out like the rest. I wish the news outlets would state Shelby’s name instead of saying “unidentified female body found” when her family has confirmed it was Shelby. Stupidly... it gives me false hope. I, and many others, keep thinking “well maybe it’s not Shelby”.

I know the DA, and I don’t think he’d call in the TBI unless he suspected something, but maybe he called them in so this case would be ruled out as a homocide and closed? Keep praying if you do pray, y’all.

Thank you for all the updates! I'm very sorry to hear about your friend! Prayers to you, the family and friends of Shelby.

 

[Dre]

@flowerchild94 here at websleuths we love our updates! Please do not hesitate to fill us in. I’m so sad her short life had to end this way, I’m hopeful they do get justice for Shelby!

 

[flowerchild94]

Update again:

Shelby's mom publicly confirmed this morning somewhere that it was Shelby. I already knew that the family confirmed this the day she was found, but others who don't know the family, weren't Shelby's friends, or haven't lived in my hometown probably wouldn't have known for sure because they might've considered it "hear-say". It 100% was her. I knew that, but some part of me was hoping it wasn't. I would've rather been wrong in this situation than right.

The Facebook page Finding Shelby has now been changed to Remembering Shelby. This is odd, and it makes me wonder if my initial instincts were true that it was a suicide? Wouldn't it be changed to Justice for Shelby if the cause of death was suspected to be murder?

Now, it is possible that they are waiting to hear back from the TBI and atopsy report to determine that justice is needed. The Facebook page, however, doesn't say anything about justice other than comments made by other people. Facebook friends are all posting about how Shelby needs justice, but her Facebook page that was made after she went missing doesn't mention her death being suspicious.

I know this might sound stupid (though this is MY opinion on the matter), but I'm tired of news papers, news stations, and on-site news reporters saying "a BLACK female body was found" when the correct, respectful, and professional term for such outlets is African American. Also, Shelby was studying to have a career in equality for African Americans and for stigmas, racial bias, and racial discrimination to stop. She didn't want to simply be identified as black because that means seeing someone by the pigment in their skin. I guess it annoys me because I know what Shelby was like, and I just find it silly to say instead of saying African American. I don't know if I'm reading too deep into this due to emotion, but I wish they'd identify HER already.

I do hope that it was suicide over murder because I don't think natural causes could even be the cause of death. I don't want to think that her life was ended by someone else because we all know that that likely means that other forms of assault were at play, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone... especially not her. I'm still waiting to hear more about this, but it seems that it was either suicide or foul-play.

If it was suicide then I think the TBI were called in just to rule out murder instead of the Sheriff assuming it was murder. The Sheriff might've called the DA to ask for the TBI's help so our town would finally have a case that was resolved and closed. We have so many cases of murder still open, and the Sheriff (who really is a nice person) can't seem to ever figure them out through our PD alone because the PD somehow botches nearly every murder case here. Karen Swift was the mom of a friend, and her case was super botched. A Caucasian male, who was found with a rope around his neck under a popular shallow bridge last summer, finally had his case solved (ruled suicide), but the crime scene had work gloves, medical gloves, evidence tags, and stuff left behind after the scene had been investigated. It was left messy until people started posting pictures of that scene.

I hope this wasn't murder because I don't feel like it would be solved fast enough. And if it was a suicide... how did they not find Shelby before? People searched. Her family searched. The place where her body was found was a fairly open area. From photos + videos that I've seen, someone -- probably TBI -- did have 4-wheelers out there, but her body wouldn't have been hard to spot. I think with daily searches that she would've been found way sooner even if flooded waters did pull her body when they elevated and receded. Keep the family in your thoughts. If I can't stop thinking about her then I can't imagine what they're going through. I pray for closure and peace. They're such a sweet family.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

It is PC and ok to use the term Black instead of African American. Part of the reason this changed in this country is because not all of our black citizens originated from the continent of Africa - Jamaicans, for instance. Anyway, I don’t believe it’s a slight and all of my black friends now use the term black rather than AA for the most part.

 

[cybervampira]

Officials identify missing Dyersburg woman as body found Tuesday

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation confirmed Friday that Shelby Hubbard, a missing woman from Dyersburg, has been found deceased.

Hubbard's body was sent to Memphis for an autopsy to determine cause of death.

 

[flowerchild94]

It is PC and ok to use the term Black instead of African American. Part of the reason this changed in this country is because not all of our black citizens originated from the continent of Africa - Jamaicans, for instance. Anyway, I don’t believe it’s a slight and all of my black friends now use the term black rather than AA for the most part.

Thank you for this. I guess it irritated me because other articles from Memphis and other places in TN kept using the term African American, or they didn't specify her race at all because they had her pictures up. Our local gazette had an article up (it has since been removed or modified) where it said "Body of missing Shelby Hubbard, a local black woman, has been identified". The article had so many pictures of her up that it seemed unnecessary to make that the title. She disliked being identified like that, but I've realized that most people probably wouldn't know that. Thank you for that info.

Shelby's visitation and funeral times and date have been posted; they'll both occur on the same day, April 6th. She won't be buried here. She'll be buried where her mom grew up.

I'm glad that the papers have finally released that it was her. Her family has asked for their privacy at this time, and they truly deserve it, but I worry that most people aren't giving them that decency. People here are nosy. My family hasn't driven into the neighborhood where she lived out of respect and sadness, but my SO did tell me that a lot of cars (more than usual) have been driving in and out of the road that leads to her neighborhood. TBI cars were parked at her house for a day or two, and the TBI interviewed her parents the other day.

You can see the tire tracks from the TBI and news vehicles leading to where her body was found from the road. They left a lot of marks in the grass that lead back to the area where Shelby was found. It made my stomach churn to see that because now I know that her body wasn't even that far away from a road that I often use. She was there and I didn't even know.

I don't know the person who found her body, but I'm thinking that it was probably a turkey hunter or someone out there looking for something. Her body was close to a bunch of trees. The heavy rains, a nearby river that always overflows, and the fact that the ground is low there are the reasons why that area was flooded at the time of her disappearance. Her body could've been hidden under a few feet of murky water if boats were taken out to look for her, and I'm assuming that she wouldn't have been found if boats weren't taken out there. Going on foot would be nearly impossible at the time if you didn't have the correct gear. She could've been there this entire time, but I know that her family was still searching for her even after the water dried up. They said they her body wasn't there when they looked, but she could've floated away from her original point or her body could've been hidden by it somehow.

I don't know this statement word-for-word, but a few articles have stated something along the lines of "people don't understand who would have done something to her". That makes me wonder if locals are going off of gossip, or if some people know something that others don't by what her family has implied to them. The Facebook page's name change made me think it was more possible that she committed suicide. I guess we will have to wait to find out.

Our town is posting "Stay Gold, Shelby" on social media because she loved that quote from The Outsiders. I mean, I remember her telling me that in 8th grade. Overall, it's heartbreaking, but I'm glad that her body was found and that she'll be buried soon.

Does being buried this soon mean that it could have been a suicide, or could they have all the evidence they need so they're allowing her family some closure for now? Thank you all for your kindness. It's touching. It was touching to me that her disappearance was posted on Websleuths in the first place. I only found this site because I was trying to find any articles with updates on Shelby. I'm glad that I did find this.

 

[missingm]

Thank you for this. I guess it irritated me because other articles from Memphis and other places in TN kept using the term African American, or they didn't specify her race at all because they had her pictures up. Our local gazette had an article up (it has since been removed or modified) where it said "Body of missing Shelby Hubbard, a local black woman, has been identified". The article had so many pictures of her up that it seemed unnecessary to make that the title. She disliked being identified like that, but I've realized that most people probably wouldn't know that. Thank you for that info.

Shelby's visitation and funeral times and date have been posted; they'll both occur on the same day, April 6th. She won't be buried here. She'll be buried where her mom grew up.

I'm glad that the papers have finally released that it was her. Her family has asked for their privacy at this time, and they truly deserve it, but I worry that most people aren't giving them that decency. People here are nosy. My family hasn't driven into the neighborhood where she lived out of respect and sadness, but my SO did tell me that a lot of cars (more than usual) have been driving in and out of the road that leads to her neighborhood. TBI cars were parked at her house for a day or two, and the TBI interviewed her parents the other day.

You can see the tire tracks from the TBI and news vehicles leading to where her body was found from the road. They left a lot of marks in the grass that lead back to the area where Shelby was found. It made my stomach churn to see that because now I know that her body wasn't even that far away from a road that I often use. She was there and I didn't even know.

I don't know the person who found her body, but I'm thinking that it was probably a turkey hunter or someone out there looking for something. Her body was close to a bunch of trees. The heavy rains, a nearby river that always overflows, and the fact that the ground is low there are the reasons why that area was flooded at the time of her disappearance. Her body could've been hidden under a few feet of murky water if boats were taken out to look for her, and I'm assuming that she wouldn't have been found if boats weren't taken out there. Going on foot would be nearly impossible at the time if you didn't have the correct gear. She could've been there this entire time, but I know that her family was still searching for her even after the water dried up. They said they her body wasn't there when they looked, but she could've floated away from her original point or her body could've been hidden by it somehow.

I don't know this statement word-for-word, but a few articles have stated something along the lines of "people don't understand who would have done something to her". That makes me wonder if locals are going off of gossip, or if some people know something that others don't by what her family has implied to them. The Facebook page's name change made me think it was more possible that she committed suicide. I guess we will have to wait to find out.

Our town is posting "Stay Gold, Shelby" on social media because she loved that quote from The Outsiders. I mean, I remember her telling me that in 8th grade. Overall, it's heartbreaking, but I'm glad that her body was found and that she'll be buried soon.

Does being buried this soon mean that it could have been a suicide, or could they have all the evidence they need so they're allowing her family some closure for now? Thank you all for your kindness. It's touching. It was touching to me that her disappearance was posted on Websleuths in the first place. I only found this site because I was trying to find any articles with updates on Shelby. I'm glad that I did find this.

It is very common to miss a body on an initial search, especially when water makes it difficult for a foot search.

The timing of the autopsy being finished quickly is not unusual either way, but it seems like they have determined there was no foul play.

 

[Blurgle]

Update again:

The Facebook page Finding Shelby has now been changed to Remembering Shelby. This is odd, and it makes me wonder if my initial instincts were true that it was a suicide? Wouldn't it be changed to Justice for Shelby if the cause of death was suspected to be murder?

Not everyone believes justice is possible for a murder victim. For the family, for society: sure, and that’s why we have murder laws. But the victim is beyond any justice, which is why murder is so unimaginably heinous.

 

[doodles1211]

People just can be the lowest of the lowest...

Dyersburg Police: Containers collecting money for missing woman found dead is scam