MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Days after she was reported missing, Amanda Harms was found dead in the backyard of a home miles from hers. While Muskogee Police said they hadn't suspected foul play, her mother Shelley Townsend was not convinced until she met with investigators today.
Harms's husband Erik told 2 News that he had been receiving conflicting information regarding the level of details that would be shared with the family now that she had been found. He and Townsend met with investigators this afternoon looking for more answers.
"We won't know for sure until we get the autopsy report," said Townsend. "We do know... at the end of her life she was desperately trying to get somebody to let her come into a house so she could get warm, but they would not answer the door."
Harms was found in a backyard near a fence, three miles from her house. Investigators told Townsend that it looked like her daughter had tried to climb the fence, as some of clothing was tangle in the wire.
"Her husband said in all the years that he's known her, she would never climb a fence, but obviously, maybe because of the circumstances, she was desperate and thought if she could get over that fence, maybe she could find another house that would let her come in," said Townsend.
Harms leaves behind three children and a grandson. She was a sixth and seventh grade teacher at Muskogee Public Schools.
Townsend said she knew her daughter would be an amazing teacher from a young age.
"Mandi was just, she was a real good person," said Townsend. "She was a hard worker, she loved her job, she loved teaching math."
The distance between Harms's home and the yard she was found in was about 3 miles. They speculated that there was no way she had walked that distance, and learned today that the police did have footage of her getting a ride from someone.
"We do know that she was knocking on doors trying to get in, but the people didn't answer," said Townsend.
Another resolution that came from this meeting was clarity on examinations being done to determine all the details behind the death. The family were satisfied to learn that a full autopsy, examination and toxicology report is being done.
"Right now, I'm convinced that it was accident," said Townsend. "It was just an accident. It was like my younger daughter said the perfect storm with the weather."
Although they have gotten a lot of clarity, the family is still waiting on a full report to determine her cause of death.
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