Missing Georgia Woman’s Remains Found in Sussex County Creek

A dark-colored Hyundai four-door sedan abandoned off Route 40 in Sussex County, Virginia, led deputies to the remains of Kelly Jo Hoskins, the Georgia woman who had been reported missing. The discovery in Sappony Creek turned a missing-person case into an interstate investigation, with authorities now trying to piece together how Hoskins ended up in a creek outside Stony Creek.

Deputies with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office followed up on the vehicle on Thursday, April 16, 2026, after it was found on property next to Sappony Creek. Investigators determined the sedan belonged to Hoskins, and that link quickly became the central thread in the search. What began as an abandoned-car call shifted into a recovery operation in rural Sussex County, far from the place where Hoskins had first been reported missing.

Authorities said the concern deepened when investigators learned Hoskins did not report to work for a job in Pennsylvania. That detail widened the scope of the case beyond Georgia and Virginia, raising questions about her travel, her timeline, and when she was last known to be safe. Deputies eventually found human remains in Sappony Creek, and the remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond for identification.

Officials later confirmed the remains were Hoskins. Preliminary findings showed no signs of trauma or foul play, but the final determination of cause of death remained pending toxicology testing. For investigators, that means the discovery answered one major question, where Hoskins was found, while leaving the most important ones open: how she got to Sussex County, whether anyone else was involved, and what happened in the days before the vehicle was left behind.

The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office said the case remained active and ongoing. Anyone with information was asked to call 434-246-5000, extension 1, or submit an anonymous tip through P3 Tips. In a case that began with a missing Georgia woman and ended with a body recovery in a Virginia creek, the vehicle has become the key piece of evidence, and the interstate timeline still needs to be explained.