ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VA – The Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD) has reported a devastating turn in the case of Kristie Powell Shifflett, a 50-year-old woman reported missing by her husband last week. What began as a missing persons investigation has tragically shifted to a homicide inquiry, with subsequent events leading to an even more sorrowful outcome.
Robert Gerald Shifflett, 51, reported his wife missing on the morning of Friday, March 22, 2024, having last seen her at their home the day before. The search for Mrs. Shifflett took a grim turn when her vehicle was discovered abandoned in a remote field on Saturday, March 23, prompting investigators to reassess the nature of her disappearance.
The situation escalated further on Sunday, March 24, when Robert Gerald Shifflett was found dead at Rockgate Cemetery in Crozet, with circumstances suggesting suicide. That same day, investigators located a body, believed to be that of Kristie Powell Shifflett, buried in a makeshift grave in a secluded area off Yellow Mountain Road.
The body has been sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Richmond for identification and further examination, as the community and authorities grapple with the shocking developments in this case.