Hannah Bender, 21, of Lumpkin County, was reported missing on September 14, 2019, and was later found dead in a shallow grave in Forsyth County. Her last contact with family was a late-night text to her mother. Authorities say the case developed into a murder investigation that implicated members of a small-town gang and alleged a plan to silence Bender because she might inform on a robbery.

Investigators identified Austin Todd Stryker as a primary suspect and say evidence placed Bender in a pickup truck with Stryker and another man, Isaac Huff, when she was killed. Testimony described Bender being fatally shot and then stabbed multiple times. Several people were arrested in connection with the killing and the effort to conceal the death, including Huff, Dylan Reid, Jerry Harper, and women charged with assisting in the cover-up.

Much about the case remains distressing and many specifics about motive and each person’s actions were developed during the investigation. If anyone knew Hannah, saw her after September 14, 2019, or has information about the people involved, please come forward.