The Georgia Bureau of Investigations is still searching for the car 19-year-old Vanita Richardson and 31-year-old Truvenia Campbell were riding in hours before they were killed and thrown off a bridge in northwest Georgia.
The GBI is asking for the public’s help to locate Richardson’s 1997 gold Toyota Corolla with Georgia tag: RTJ 6295.
A road crew discovered the bodies early Wednesday, May 13, on the banks of the Etowah River under the east bypass bridge in Floyd County.
The woman had plastic bags over their heads and their clothes were torn. Investigators believe the killer misjudged the water’s edge because it was still dark out when the bodies were dumped.
Police believe there are 2 killers. Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Johnston says the GBI is working around the clock to develop and follow leads in the case.
Johnston told Channel 2 anchor Justin Wilfon that agents believe the two women knew their killer or killers and it wasn’t a random act of violence.
Family and friends attended a vigil on Monday night. Richardson and Campbell were half sisters. They shared the same father and different mothers.
The stepsisters were always together — inseparable. Truvenia Campbell had epilepsy since birth. Richardson kept a close eye on her.
“They were very, very close. Very, very close,” said Campbell’s mother, Donna Campbell. She pleaded with mourners to space themselves 6 feet apart at the vigil outside Campbell’s home in Rome.
The sisters were last seen on Tuesday night, May 12. Richardson left her home, presumably to go pick up Campbell for a night out.
The coronavirus restriction had been lifted by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and residents were cautiously venturing outside after being cooped up inside their homes for 2 months.
Richardson was set to graduate from high school on Saturday, May 23.
Before she left, Richardson’s mother, Vanita Allen, called out to her. “She pulled out of the yard and I said, ‘You better make it back in tonight.'”
