hyoidbone
Forensic Anthro Student
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(no photo availble of Frances)
On July 9, 2001, the decomposing body of Frances Lunsford (26) was found off O'Quinn Road in Tifton, Georgia. She had been strangled to death with a piece of clothing. Her last known sighting was on July 7th.
According to sources, Frances had fallen into an unsavory crowd. She had become addicted to drugs, to the point where she volunteered to give up her three children to foster care until she could get clean again. But by the accounts of her family members, Frances was actively trying to get back on her feet at the time of her murder. She had discussed finding a job and regaining custody once she was financially stable.
The oddest part of her case? The faux roses that were left en masse on her grave. In November 2006, local news reported that approximately 175 fabric roses had been left on Frances's grave since her burial in August 2001. Her grave is quite secluded at the Ty Ty Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, so who knew where to find her? None of her family or close friends reports leaving the roses.
This all begs the question: who strangled Frances? And who left that many roses?
www.wistv.com
www.findagrave.com
gbi.georgia.gov
On July 9, 2001, the decomposing body of Frances Lunsford (26) was found off O'Quinn Road in Tifton, Georgia. She had been strangled to death with a piece of clothing. Her last known sighting was on July 7th.
According to sources, Frances had fallen into an unsavory crowd. She had become addicted to drugs, to the point where she volunteered to give up her three children to foster care until she could get clean again. But by the accounts of her family members, Frances was actively trying to get back on her feet at the time of her murder. She had discussed finding a job and regaining custody once she was financially stable.
The oddest part of her case? The faux roses that were left en masse on her grave. In November 2006, local news reported that approximately 175 fabric roses had been left on Frances's grave since her burial in August 2001. Her grave is quite secluded at the Ty Ty Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, so who knew where to find her? None of her family or close friends reports leaving the roses.
Going through Kelltown one day, she [Lunsford's sister] stopped at the convenience store and saw the exact same flowers that had been appearing at her sister’s grave. She asked the store clerk if someone came in the store and bought the flowers in multiples. The clerk said yes. Shaw asked the clerk to describe the person. The clerk said he was an older white man who would come in the store and buy four or five at the time. Shaw asked the clerk to give the man her telephone number and have him call her. He never did.
Read more at: Family wonders: Who’s leaving roses on murdered woman’s grave? - Thomasville Times-Enterprise
This all begs the question: who strangled Frances? And who left that many roses?

Mystery roses still appear on woman's grave five years after death
It was about a month after Frances Lunsford was murdered that the first red, long-stem, artificial rose appeared on her grave. Five years later, she still is getting roses. There are now 175 of them.
Family wonders: Who’s leaving roses on murdered woman’s grave? - Thomasville Times-Enterprise
The long-stem, red, artificial roses at Frances Lunsford’s grave site began appearing about a month after she was murdered in the summer of 2001. Five years later, she is still getting roses. At last count, there were 175. Lunsford’s sister, Rhonda Shaw, who used to regularly visit the grave at...
timesenterprise.com

Frances Lunsford (1974-2001) - Find a Grave...


Unsolved Homicide: Frances Lunsford
On Monday, July 9, 2001 , the body of Frances Lunsford was found in-between a vacant mobile home and a pond in Tifton, Tift County , Georgia. Lunsford had been strangled by a piece of clothing. Lunsford was last seen alive on the Saturday prior to her body being found.Anyone with information on...