Gadsden police investigating death of Gadsden woman

Leon Marbury III

The search for a missing Gadsden woman ended when officers found her body Monday night on the side of a road.  Police have not said how 41-year-old Vanessa Christine Lee died.  Her boyfriend, 53-year-old Leon Marbury III, is in custody.    The management of Forest River Apartments called police Monday morning to do a welfare check on the unit where Lee and Marbury lived.  When they entered the apartment, they found no one, but they did find evidence that a crime had been committed.  Police declined to say what the evidence is, but said it was obvious that something was wrong and they needed to find Lee.  The search went to the water by the apartment complex's boardwalk.  Being the close proximity of the Coosa River, police requested the assistance of the state marine police, along with the Etowah County Rescue Squad, and they assisted with a dive operation to ensure that Ms. Lee was not in the Coosa River.  SONAR from the marine police boat detected something on the bottom of the river, but investigators determined it was not potential evidence.  Officers also began to look for Marbury, and found him in another part of town an hour later.  After questioning marbury, police arrested him for hindering prosecution.  Around 7 p.m., police found Lee's body two miles from the apartments, on the side of the road near the intersection of Davis Street and Fain Street in East Gadsden.    Gadsden police expect to file more charges against Marbury today.