FBI searching Georgia landfill in connection to the disappearance of Clay County woman

CHARLTON COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE 1/22/2020: The FBI has released additional details regarding the ongoing search at the Chesser Island Road Landfill. These details include that the search team is now comprised of members from the FBI Jacksonville Evidence Response Team, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office and representatives of the FBI Laboratory (Evidence Response Team Unit and Technical Hazard Response Team Unit) in Quantico.

The search area is approximately the size of a baseball diamond, and approximately 40 search members are on the scene at any given time, in addition to administrative and medical staff, according to the FBI.

The agencies plan to take advantage of all daylight hours within a 12 hour shift. They will also continue to search if it rains, but will break if conditions such as lighting pose a danger. Once lightning passes, they will resume the search until daylight expires.

The agencies are also prepared for extreme temperatures, and have temperature controlled tents available for personnel wearing protective gear. Line searchers are required to wear Tyvek protective suits, boots, gloves, glasses and respirators. FBI medical staff are on site to address any potential health issues, and experts from the FBI Technical Hazards Response Unit are monitoring site hazards.

Chesser Island Road Landfill helped the FBI to identify the area where potential evidence could be, and preserved the area as the investigation progressed to this point, the agency says.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Multiple agencies are conducting a search at the Chesser Island Road Landfill in connection to the disappearance of missing Clay County woman, Susan Mauldin, according to the FBI Jacksonville.

According to the FBI, the FBI Jacksonville Evidence Response Team conducted a search at the landfill in Folkston, Ga., in support of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the disappearance of Mauldin.

RELATED: Mysterious circumstances surround disappearance of Clay County woman missing for weeks

The search began Tuesday and includes participation from the CCSO and State Attorney’s Office and the FBI.

The State Attorney’s Office released the following statement about the search:

“Detectives from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office contacted FBI Jacksonville early in their investigation into the disappearance of Susan Mauldin to request assistance in preserving potential evidence that may have been transferred to the Chesser Island Road Landfill. We have now determined a physical search of that location could further advance our investigation. We appreciate the assistance of experts from the FBI’s Laboratory and Technical Hazards Units who traveled from Quantico, VA, to assist in this search, and recognize the outstanding commitment of the CCSO and FBI Jacksonville Evidence Response Teams to this investigation.”

According to the CCSO, Mauldin was last seen Oct. 23 and was reported missing the next day.

Six days later, CCSO believed Mauldin could be in danger.

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More than two weeks went by, and there is no mention of Mauldin’s disappearance case by the Sheriff’s Office until Nov. 19, when it announced Corey Binderim as a person of interest in Mauldin’s case.

As of Tuesday morning, Binderim was put on a hold at the Duval County Jail.

Police say Binderim was working on Mauldin's bathroom, but Mauldin fired Binderim and requested her money back.

Action News Jax found Binderim isn’t licensed to work as a contractor in Florida.

Mauldin’s close friend, Patricia Ritchie, said Mauldin had complained about Binderim and she had planned to meet to get her money back.

Action News Jax reporter Elizabeth Pace spoke to Mauldin’s neighbors on Tuesday after they learned of the new developments in the case.

“It’s so sad that something so awful had to happen,” neighbor Carole Honsinger said. “It’s just never in this neighborhood. Honsinger said it’s a close community that feels protective of Mauldin. She said she and other neighbors are heartbroken to learn Mauldin may never come home.

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