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Danielle Owens, a missing 16-year-old girl from Tennessee, was reportedly found dead nearly two months after her disappearance. According to the Greeneville Police Department (GPD), her body was found in a Greene County cornfield.
Owens was first reported missing on Dec. 12, 2022 and The Greene County Sheriff's Department (GCSD) was informed about a possible body found in a field on February 7, 2023. Around 12:21 a.m. on Tuesday, GCSD was dispatched to the 300 block of Doughtys Chapel Road.
The body was later identified as that of the missing teen. In the wake of the discovery, Greeneville High School students and staff mourned the loss of Owens, who was a student at the institution. The school leaders said that Owens will be remembered for her “gentle presence” and “compassion”:
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Danielle Owens. Danielle’s gentle presence offered a warm reprieve to all that knew her. Danielle’s compassionate personality and sweet smile will certainly be missed by the Greene Devil Community.”
The school also offered grief counseling services and said they will continue to offer support in the future:
“Danielle was a former GHS student. Grief counseling services were implemented yesterday for students and staff and the school will continue to offer support as needed.”
Following the discovery of Danielle Owens’ body, the GPD and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation responded to the scene and took over the investigation.
GCSD deputies reportedly notified the GPD about the case due to “certain circumstances relating to another ongoing investigation.”
A look into the disappearance of Danielle Owens
Teenage student Danielle Owens was reported missing after being last seen on December 11, 2022, in Greenville, Tennessee. According to NewsBreak, the 16-year-old was previously in the custody of the Tennessee Dept of Children's Services as she ran away from home in November 2022.
As per her family, Owens stayed in contact with her relatives and friends for three weeks after running away. She was also active on social media and used Facebook messenger to communicate with others on a daily basis.
However, her activities reportedly changed on the day of her disappearance, leaving her family concerned. Reports suggest that Owens and her 31-year-old boyfriend David Dabbs allegedly got into a physical altercation before the teen was reported missing.
Dabbs allegedly choked Owens, prompting his father to call the police. Officials were later told that Owens allegedly “ran off into the woods” from home before authorities arrived. While officers failed to locate the teen, they found one of her shoes in the front yard.
Some people allegedly told Owens’ family that she was seen with another “friend,” 32-year-old Cody Wilburn prior to her disappearance. Both Dabbs and Wilburn claimed they had no idea or information about Owens’ whereabouts.
Following the missing report, Dabbs was taken into custody for non-related charges. Meanwhile, Owens’ family said it was “unusual” for the teen to not contact anyone for a long period of time.
Richard Hinkle, Owens’ grandfather and her guardian since she was six years old, told The Greenville Sun it was unlike the teen to not call him:
“This is not like her. She will call me when she will call no one else.”
Danielle Owens’ aunt Kim Carraway added that it was “out of character” for her to not contact her family:
“It’s out of character for her to not be in touch with anybody.”
Danielle was described as approximately 5’1” - 5’4” in height and around 120 lbs in weight. She had brown/blonde hair and blue eyes.
Local media reportedly failed to air Danielle Owens’ story as she was reported as a runaway and her case was still open. Family, friends and volunteers previously organized a search party for the missing teenager
Unfortunately, the search for Owens came to an end with a gruesome discovery after officers found her body in a Greene County cornfield. No immediate cause of Owens’ death has been made available to the public at the time of writing.
