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Bones Found Near Store Identified As Those Of Missing Vance County Woman

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VANCE COUNTY — A Vance County mother disappeared four months ago. Angie Marie Griffin, 24, left her son with a babysitter, but she never came back. Authorities had no clue where she was until Monday.

Dental records confirm that part of a skull found Sunday is that of Griffin.

Monday morning, Griffin's family received confirmation of the news.

"I want them to keep the pressure on, to where they won't just push this case aside," said Diane Griffin, Angie's mother. "Angie deserves justice. She didn't deserve to be found in the woods like that."

After finding the skull, authorities spent Monday searching and dragging the bottom of a pond off Highway 1, looking for evidence.

On Tuesday, numerous bones were found in the same area. Vance County Sheriff Breedlove said searchers found Griffin's gravesite on the edge of the woods, and recovered the backbone, most of the ribcage intact, leg and arm bones and hair, but no clothing. Local authorities hope the SBI can come up with a cause of death. Meanwhile, they plan to be back on the scene Wednesday looking for more clues.

Griffin says her daughter started getting anonymous phone calls at work a few days before she disappeared.

"Later on that week, she found out who it was, and she wouldn't tell," Diane said. "I think she was trying to protect him. I just don't know why anyone would want to hurt her."

Griffin left her baby at a babysitter's house on Oct. 15. She said she would be home in an hour or so, but she never returned.

Griffin's Honda Accord was found the next day at the Middleburg Variety Store. Her skull was found just a few miles from the store, when a dog discovered it Sunday morning.

Medical examiners in Chapel Hill are performing tests on the skull, looking for more evidence. They have not determined a cause of death.

This is the second tragedy for the Griffin family. Angie's brother, Henry, was murdered five years ago.

Griffin's son, 14-month-old Logan Stainback, will be cared for by his grandmother, Diane.

Detectives say they have been working on this case for almost four months, but do not have any leads.

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