MILLSBORO, Del. - A week after a woman's body was found along a dirt road in Worcester County, police have yet to announce any official suspects or arrests.
Last Friday, troopers said a man found the body of Nicole Bennett, 35, of Millsboro, Del., along Swamp Road near Whaleyville, Md. Bennett was last heard from on Thursday night and investigators said her car was found at Bay Shore Community Church near Gumboro, where she also worked.
Maryland State Police are not at a dead end in the investigation, said spokeswoman Elena Russo. Troopers are working with forensic evidence, the crime lab and other law enforcement agencies, Russo said. Police said it is not uncommon for a murder investigation to take time.
Bennett's husband reported her missing around 8 a.m. Friday, police said.
A man walking along Swamp Road found the victim's body around 9 a.m., troopers said. Neighbors said the man who made the discovery lives nearby and frequently walks the area.
Swamp Road is a single lane, dirt road surrounded by corn fields with virtually no homes and not far from the Maryland-Delaware line. People who live in the area said the road is mostly known by locals and receives little traffic. Neighbors said the body was found along a roadside embankment near a tree some locals call "the ghost tree," presumably nicknamed for the unusual way the limbs grow out of the trunk.
Russo said police have received tips after putting out a request for information earlier this week. She stressed no tidbit is too small, once again asking the public to report anything they saw in the area around the time of Bennett's disappearance.
"She was just an absolutely wonderful, wonderful, wonderful woman," said Danny Tice, lead pastor at Bay Shore during a service on Sunday. "We're just going to miss her very, very much."
The church held a memorial service on Wednesday.
Bennett left behind a husband and three daughters. A memorial fund has been set up for the victim's immediate family. Donations can be made to The Nicole Reiser Memorial Fund, c/o WSFS Bank, 26644 Center View Dr., Millsboro, DE 19966.
Bennett will be buried in Nebraska, where she was born, and next to her sister, according to an obituary.
Nicole Bennett was last heard from on Thursday night and investigators said her car was found at Bay Shore Community Church near Gumboro, where she also worked.
