Body found in Lowndes Co. is of missing Montgomery man | Crime

LOWNDES CO., AL (WSFA) - Authorities with the Montgomery Police Department say they've made an arrest in the case of a 65-year-old man whose body was found covered by tree limbs along a Lowndes County roadside.

Tasha Atchison, 29, is charged in connection with the homicide of Paul Tatum, Jr., whose family reported him missing Sunday. Tatum was last seen Saturday at his home in the 100 block of Longview Court, just off Old Selma Road in west Montgomery.

Authorities when to Tatum's home, but did not find him. All they would say about the scene is that it showed evidence of an altercation.

Around 3:00pm Sunday, motorists traveling along Frederick Douglass Road near the Burkville Community in Lowndes County discovered a body. Tree limbs broken from a nearby tree were used to cover the body.

Authorities with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation later confirmed that the remains belonged to Tatum.

An investigation by the Montgomery Police Department shows that Tatum and Atchison, who were acquaintances, had been involved in a verbal altercation that escalated to physical violence.

Tatum is listed as the 16th homicide victim of 2012 in the city of Montgomery.

Atchison is charged with murder and is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility under a $75,000 bond.

The investigation is ongoing. Authorities said they could not release any further details at this time.

WSFA 12 News reporter Bryan Henry is covering this developing story. He'll have the latest starting with WSFA 12 News First at 4:00, and WSFA 12 News at 5 and 6.