Chase Stafford was a missing Cheatham County, Tennessee, woman whose body was found in the Cumberland River below a dam on May 18, 2023, according to sheriff’s officials.
The Cheatham County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page, “the body of Ms. Chase Stafford was recovered from the Cumberland River below Cheatham Dam. Ms. Stafford’s remains had apparently been trapped under debris that had accumulated in front of the dam.”
Stafford had been missing since May 10, 2023, acording to the sheriff’s department.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Cause of Death Has Not Been Determined, Sheriff’s Officials Say
The Sheriff’s Department says that “during routine clearing of that debris by opening the flood gates, her body was able to rise to the surface.”
According to the Sheriff’s Department, the Tennessee Medical Examiner’s Office “was able to confirm her identity today. The cause and manner of death have not been determined at this time and are pending further exam results.”
The statement continues:
The Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office is still considering this to be an active investigation and now have shifted our focus to the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and subsequent death. We still need the help of the public and ask that anyone who may have had contact with Chase Stafford between Monday May 9th, 2023 and Wednesday May 11th, 2023 to please contact the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at:
(615)792-2021 Detective David Diaz or Lt. Ken Miller
(615)792-2098 Cheatham County DispatchWe also wish to thank the public for the assistance that we have received through the course of the search for Chase. This information has been very helpful and very much appreciated.
2. Chase Stafford’s Backpack Was Discovered on Highway 49, Sheriff’s Officials Say
According to a missing person’s poster, Stafford was last seen in Cheatham County on May 10, 2023.
She was dropped off on Chapmansboro Road in Ashland City and disappeared, the poster says. It says her backpack, containing personal property like her glasses and cellphone, was discovered on Highway 49 later in the day.
“Sheriff Office personnel have been diligently working around the clock on the case and are currently evaluating steps to further proceed,” the sheriff’s department wrote before Stafford’s body was found.
3. There Is a GoFundMe Page to Help Pay for Chase Stafford’s Memorial
A GoFundMe page is raising money for Stafford’s memorial. It reads:
Hello, I am Melanie, one of Chase’s aunts. We are raising money to help pay for Chase Stafford’s memorial to be held on Wednesday, May 24th, 2023. We are extremely grateful to everyone for their loving support and helping us search for Chase. She was found on the morning of Thursday, May 18th, 2023, and not how we would’ve preferred. However, we are happy to have her back with us and to be at peace.
These funds will go directly to her mother to assist with Chase Stafford’s memorial service. THANK YOU AGAIN for the love and support that you’re continuing to give Chase and her family during this time.
The page has raised more than $3,700.
4. Chase Stafford’s Mother Believes She Was Sending a Message ‘to Whoever Took My Baby Away’
Daphne Foster Gillihan, Stafford’s mother, wrote on Facebook: “For Chase Stafford I love you and miss you so much. I feel the second picture is Chase sending out a message to whoever took my baby away because they didn’t think she would be found. And these 2 songs Chase had put on my phone one day when we were riding in my car.”
She added in another post, “I almost died having her and now I have to bury her. It’s not fair that I have to do this. She was only 25 years old and a great daughter.”
5. Chase Stafford Was Remembered as ‘Such a Sweet Girl’
A woman wrote on the GoFundMe page, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Chase was such a sweet girl. I’m glad I had the pleasure of meeting her and having her as my neighbor for so many years. My prayers are with y’all.”
Stafford’s cover photo on Facebook is a Bob Marley quote, “Money can’t buy life.”
There is nothing else visible on her page except for a profile picture.
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