Human remains found in Gilmer County
News February 18, 2022
UPDATE: Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson confirmed with FYN today that the remains found in the Hudson-Martin Road area of the county were skeletal. He said that they were complete and not missing any major parts.
Nicholson also confirmed that the remains were found above ground, not buried.
Nicholson said that it could possibly take up to a week or more for preliminary findings but is confident in the GBI’s lab in determining details sooner than that. He also specifically stated that he was confident in the lab and investigators to identify the remains before the investigation ends, providing closure to either a missing person or a crime if investigations find something pointing to that.
Nicholson also confirmed that while they did call in a tech and support from the GBI, the Gilmer Sheriff’s Office is still leading the investigation into these remains.
ORIGINAL STORY GILMER COUNTY, Ga. – Authorities have taken custody of what the Gilmer Sheriff’s Office said is suspected human remains on Friday, February 18, 2022.
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson
According to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office, the remains were located by a utility company lineman crew at approximately 4:00 a.m. this morning. The locations was said to be “in a wooded area just off of Hudson-Martin Road.”
Hudson-Martin Road leaves off of Highway 52 East at Hillcrest Apple Orchard and connects back to Highway 52 East near the Oakland Clubhouse after crossing Rackley Road.
The Sheriff’s Office went on to say, “Sheriff’s Deputies and Detectives responded to the scene, and a GBI crime scene tech was requested to assist in recovering the remains.”
As of now, the Sheriff’s Office has not determined a cause of death. The remains are will be in the custody of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and their Crime Lab as they determine more information.
FYN has reached out to Sheriff Nicholson for comment and questions on the remains found and is currently awaiting his response. This article will be update with additional information as he provides it. Stay with FYN for new articles as well as new developments are reported.
Rodriguez arrested in Delgado murder, extradition could mean trial in Georgia
News July 3, 2021
CHERRY LOG, Ga. – Joint releases continue from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as another arrest has been made for involvement with April 2021 murder of Rossana Delgado, this time for Juan Ayala-Rodriguez.
Reaching all the way back to the original warrants for their alleged involvement, the GBI, working in partnership with the United States Marshal’s Service (USMS) Atlanta and San Diego, coordinated the transfer to U.S. custody of Juan Ayala-Rodriguez, age 35, after his arrest in Mexico.
Rossana Delgado was discovered in April of 2021 in Cherry Log where she was allegedly murdered.
On April 24, 2021, FYN reported Rodriquez, of Gainesville, Georgia, along with three other suspects, as wanted in connection to the murder. Later, in May 2021, reports came of the arrest of two of those original four alongside a fifth suspect. Now, Rodriquez is the third of the original four arrested.
According to the GBI, “Rodriguez was arrested in Durango, Mexico on Saturday, June 26, 2021. The USMS-San Diego and Customs and Border Protection oversaw the transfer of Rodriguez to USMS custody and subsequent detention at a California facility. Rodriguez is pending extradition to Georgia to face murder charges.”
No specific information is available on which court Rodriguez may face the charges in. Delgado was last seen in Doraville, Georgia on April 17, 2021. Her husband and authorities tracked her phone as a possible location of Delgado to Covington Highway, which is more on the southeastern side of Atlanta. Eventually, her body was found in a residence in Cherry Log, Georgia, in Northeast Gilmer County.
The GBI stated, “USMS and the United States Department of Homeland Security (HSI) have worked diligently to assist the GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office in this case and in this arrest. The GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office are very grateful for the support and efforts of the USMS, HSI and all agencies involved in effecting this arrest.”
The GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office continue to actively investigate this case and the individuals involved in the murder of Rossana Delgado. With three of the four original warrants executed and in custody, the fifth suspect arrested and in custody, the GBI asserted that a coordinated effort to locate and arrest the other three murder suspects, Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez, Carolina Jazmin Rodriguez-Ramirez and Maria Chavez is active and ongoing.
As always, the GBI requests that anyone with information to please contact the GBI. Tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Delgado case updates with new warrant and suspect
News June 18, 2021
CHERRY LOG, Ga. – New information is continuing to come out from authorities on the April 20, 2021, discovery of the murder of Rosanna Delgado.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has issued yet another warrant in the investigation, this time for Maria Katherine Chavez Encarnacion, 28, of Marietta, GA. The warrant was officially issued for murder due to her alleged involvement.
According to authorities, Encarnacion’s last known location is Mexico. They did not say exactly how Encarnacion was involved in the murder.
As always, officials are asking anyone with any information about Encarnacion’s current location to contact the GBI.
Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app. If anyone sees Encarnacion, please contact 911.
This case has been ongoing since late April, but it has seen consistent updates as GBI, Homeland Security, and Gilmer Sheriff have supported and continued investigations that started with a welfare check at a Cherry Log Residence. Since then, they have issued seven warrants for arrest, Encarnacion being the seventh. They have also made three arrests of those warrants and one related arrest.
As the investigation nears two months, this latest warrant could indicate new information or changes in the case, as the GBI continues updating us, we will continue to update the story.
Delgado case updates with woman’s identity and arrest warrant
News May 26, 2021
CHERRY LOG, Ga. – Investigators have confirmed the identity of, and issued a murder warrant for, a woman previously reported in the Rossana Delgado murder case as a person of interest that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) was seeking to question.
Originally releasing a video of an unnamed woman alongside Rossana Delgado in a Ross store, the GBI requested the public’s help in identifying her. Now, the GBI has released her name. But more than just the name, a murder warrant has been issued for Carolina Jazmin Rodriguez-Ramirez, 28 of Oklahoma, for her involvement in the murder of Rossana Delgado.
The GBI originally stated that the woman, now known to be Rodriguez-Ramirez, was one of the last people to interact with the victim long before authorities discovered the name of the fifth suspect when they arrested three people involved in the murder. Now, investigators have identified Rodriguez-Ramirez as the woman with Rossana Delgado in the Ross and Mercado Fresco video previously released in this case.
The video, taken on April 16, 2021, shows the now sixth suspect allegedly involved in the murder according to the warrant.
The GBI stated, “Rodriguez-Ramirez’ location is currently unknown, but she is believed to be in Mexico with at least one other suspect, Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez.”
The GBI press release also stated that additional charges are anticipated in addition to the murder warrant. They have already confirmed involvement and partnerships with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta, HSI Harlingen, Texas and Attaché Matamoros, Mexico. This was how they coordinated their three previous arrests in the case, all three of which took place in Mexico.
Police and Investigators have continually asked for the public’s help in identifying or finding additional information on suspects allegedly involved in the case, but have not commented specifically on if this identification came from a public tip or through the investigators themselves. More information is continuing to become available from the GBI and will be posted to FYN when available.
Three arrested in Delgado murder investigation
News May 17, 2021
CHERRY LOG, Ga. – Three arrests have been made, according to the Georgia Bureau of Ingvestigations (GBI), in relation to the April 20, 2021, murder of Rossana Delgado in Cherry Log, Georgia.
After weeks of searching for the suspects and asking the public for help in identifying persons involved, the GBI released a statement today confirming the capture of three suspects, providing progress to the investigation and refocusing some public support.
The GBI stated, “On Saturday, May 15 2021, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, working in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta, HSI Harlingen, Texas and Attaché Matamoros, Mexico coordinated the arrests of Megan Colone, 30, and Oscar Manuel Garcia, 26. The fifth suspect (previously identified in news releases by photographs) in this murder was located with Oscar Manuel Garcia and was identified as Juan Antonio Vega, 25. A warrant was taken for Vega for the murder of Rossana Delgado.”
According to GBI information, Vega is a Cobb County resident.
Megan Colone AKA Grace Beda
Oscar Garcia
The fifth suspect allegedly involved in the Delgado murder has now been identified as Juan Antonio Vega.
Since the murder, Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office, whose deputies discover Delgado as they conducted a welfare check at a residence in Cherry Log, Georgia, have passed the investigation to the GBI who have pursued the case up to these arrests.
All three suspects were apprehended in Mexico. GBI did not state specifically where in Mexico they were located, but did confirm that the suspects have been returned to the United States saying, “HSI Harlingen and Customs and Border Patrol oversaw the transport of the suspects to Texas detention facilities. All three are pending extradition proceedings to Georgia to face murder charges.”
GBI credited all agencies involved in the case as they noted that HSI has worked diligently to assist the GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office in this case and in these arrests. They stated, “The GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office are very grateful for the support and efforts of HSI and all agencies involved in affecting these arrests.”
However, with three suspects in custody, the case is still ongoing continuing the search for the additional suspects, Juan Ayala-Rodriguez, 35, of Gainesville, GA, and Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez, 29, of Oklahoma City, OK. The GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office continue to actively investigate this case and the individuals involved in the murder of Rossana Delgado.
Other aspects of this case are still pressing in that investigation as the GBI is still searching for the identity of one of the last people to interact with the victim, Rossana Delgado. Releasing a video of April 16, 2021. As one of the final people to see Delgado, GBI are seeking more information on the woman in the video with Delgado as a person of interest. Any information could be vital to aiding in capturing these suspects or in finding more details of Delgado’s final hours.
The GBI reiterated the push for the additional suspects saying, “A coordinated effort to locate and arrest the other two murder suspects, Juan Ayala-Rodriguez and Mario Alberto Barbosa-Juarez, is active and ongoing. Anyone with information as to the identity of the woman pictured in previous news releases are asked to contact the GBI. Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.”
During their original release, the GBI stated that Colone may have been traveling under the alias, Grace Beda and was believed to be traveling with her minor children. They have since confirmed that Colone’s children were safely returned to the United States during these arrests operations.
GBI searches for new person of interest in Delgado murder
News April 27, 2021
CHERRY LOG, Ga. – Today the GBI released a video pointing out a specific person of interest that they are searching for.
The GBI is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the woman in this video.
According to the GBI’s Press Release, the woman is one of the last people to interact with the victim, Rossana Delgado. This video was noted in other reports and was taken on April 16, 2021. As one of the final people to see Delgado, GBI are seeking more information. The GBI has identified four suspects and has already released information seeking the identity of an unknown fifth suspect.
Now, this person of interest could have vital information on the case, the GBI is asking that anyone with information call the GBI Tipline at 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), report the information online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the mobile app, See Something Send Something.