NNDDA Cadaver Dogs assist in locating human remains

Holmes County Sheriff's Office

Through investigative work of the Dotham, AL police department, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, and the use of NNDDA certified cadaver dogs from Bay County Sheriff’s Office, investigators unearthed the remains of two missing persons.

On July 11, 2022, Dothan Police Department received a missing persons reports for Shauna Terry and her boyfriend, Damien Bell. The two were last seen leaving a Dothan motel in a red SUV on July 8, 2022.

On July 28, 2022, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office received information from Dothan Police Department that prompted the agencies to open a joint investigation. This information lead investigators to believe that one or more bodies were buried on private property on Long Round Bay Rd. in Bonifay. HCSO investigators obtained and executed a search warrant at this location.

Through investigative work and the use of cadaver dogs from Bay County Sheriff’s Office, an area of the property was determined to contain human remains. FDLE crime scene unearthed the remains which is likely to be those of Shauna Terry and Damien Bell, however positive identification will be made by the medical examiner office.

On July 29, 2022, Dothan Police Department executed a search warrant in the 600 block of Dutch St. in Dothan, AL, suspecting that one of the murders may have been committed at this location while the other is believed to have taken place at the Long Round Bay Rd. property.

At this time one individual, 35 year old Sheena Marie Thurman of Bonifay, has been arrested and charged with one open count of murder in Holmes County, and one count of murder in Dothan. Thurman is currently being housed in the Houston County and will be extradited back to Holmes County.

Other persons of interest have been identified and the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are forthcoming.

Story originally posted on the Holmes County Sheriff’s Facebook page.