Body of missing Sumter woman, 23, found

The body of a 23-year-old missing woman was discovered earlier Tuesday and is being treated as a suspicious death.

Sumter officers were called at about 12:15 p.m. on March 23 after a passerby reported seeing the body of a woman, who was later identified as Rebecca Danielle Brown, lying in a grassy area off South Guignard Drive, said Tonyia McGirt, public information officer for the Sumter Police Department.

Brown was last seen out with friends on March 17 when she walked away from the Sumter Stop, a gas station on South Guignard Drive. She was reported missing after 9 p.m.

Multiple searches by ground and air were conducted beginning that night. The State Law Enforcement Division and specialized K-9 units from the region assisted.

The Sumter Police Department and Sumter County Coroner’s Office are investigating.

Family members have  been notified, and an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.