Burning body identified as woman who vanished after going to pick up Facebook Marketplace purchase

The burning body of a woman who disappeared after reportedly going to make a Facebook Marketplace purchase was found by police in Alabama on Friday, authorities say.

Jermiera Ivory Fowler, 31, was reported missing on Thursday (1 June) by concerned family after apparently going to meet an online seller the previous day, the Birmingham Police Department said in a statement.

At 9pm that night, officers were called to reports of a burning body in an area near the 200 Block of Sellers Rd, a dead end street in a wooded area.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue officers extinguished the fire, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Birmingham police said.

Authorities said they launched a homicide investigation after identifying the remains as Fowler.

She had “visible signs of trauma”, and had suffered a gunshot wound prior to being set alight, police said.

Police have not yet made any arrests or identified a suspect.

They say they cannot confirm that the Facebook Marketplace meeting is linked to the homicide.

According to an earlier missing person release, Fowler was last been seen at about 4pm on Wednesday in the 500 block of 41st Street North, six miles from where her body was found. She had been driving a white Nissan Versa Note.

Fowler’s death marks the 50th homicide in Birmingham so far in 2023, according to the police department.

The Independent has contacted Facebook’s parent company Meta for comment.