A suspected murderer died of a heart attack while dragging his girlfriend’s body through the Alabama woods after strangling her to death, an autopsy has revealed.
Daniel Robbins, 44, and mother-of-three Jessica Folds were found dead in a wooded area in the small, rural community of Lanett on June 10.
Deputies found the 47-year-old with her hands raised over her head, Chambers County Sheriff Jeff Nelson told WTVM.
Robbins was next to her in the fetal position and officials noticed a ‘drag path’ at the scene.
An autopsy has since determined that Folds was strangled to death.
Although it is unclear where her murder took place, police suspect that Robbins killed Folds during a domestic incident the night before.
Suspect died of heart attack
They believe he was trying to dispose of her remains when he collapsed and died, District Attorney Mike Segrest told AL.com.
‘He died of a heart attack while doing it,’ Segrest said. ‘Their bodies were right there together.’
Police were called to the wooded area around noon on June 10 after a passerby spotted a pickup truck abandoned alongside a dirt road.
The truck had been left running, the driver’s side door was open, and the tailgate was pulled down, Segrest said.
Officials followed drag marks through the dirt, beginning at the tailgate and ending in the brush where their bodies were found.
Sheriff Nelson told WTVM that the passerby who found the couple initially thought their remains were mannequins.
Robbins had a preexisting heart condition, his ex-wife told the outlet. Officials have not said whether that condition contributed to his death.
Folds lived just a few miles away from the woods where her body was found.
She and Robbins, from Macon, Georgia, were in a relationship.
Police have not released a motive
Police have not said exactly how long the pair had been dating, but public records show Folds’ husband of five years, Jimmy ‘Lamar’ Folds, passed away in February 2025.
Folds leaves behind three adult sons and two grandchildren.
‘Jessica lived and worked many places in the Auburn-Opelika area. Jessica touched the lives of many with her heart of gold, deep love for everyone, and smile that brightened the world,’ her obituary reads.
Robbins was a father of one daughter.
His obituary, which has since been removed from the funeral home website, hailed him as a ‘country boy who loved the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing and had a deep passion for racing.’
‘He specialized in welding, but loved working in farming and on vehicles,’ the tribute said, according to AL.com.
Police have not released a motive for the killing, which remains under investigation.
