Remains found in North Carolina linked to former Westmoreland resident
Remains found in North Carolina in 2022 have been linked to a woman who has ties to Westmoreland County.
Sharon Johnston told the Anson Record last week that officials in Anson County said DNA results indicate the remains of an unidentified woman belong to her daughter, Amber Rae Johnston.
Anson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Brian Tice told WSOC-TV this week there is a high likelihood that the DNA matches Johnston, but there hasn’t been a positive identification yet. Johnston would have turned 40 this month.
She has been missing from Arizona since August 2021. Media reported a partially clothed woman was seen on a trail camera that same month in a wooded area in North Carolina. Police in Arizona confirmed that Johnston traveled by bus to South Carolina but got off in North Carolina, according to the Anson Record.
The unidentified remains were found near the trail camera in May 2022 during construction for a new school, police said.
Earlier this month, Anson County Sheriff Scott Howell said DNA had been extracted from the remains and it would be compared to DNA provided by Johnston’s family, the Anson Record reported.
Court records from about 10 to 20 years ago indicate Johnston had addresses in Youngwood, Greensburg and Hunker.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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