Last Updated on September 13, 2014 12:53 pm
As of 6:32pm Poplar Grove Road is back open. See below for the original article as it was updated throughout the day.
A portion of Poplar Grove Road in Boone, beside the ASU campus, is closed as law enforcement officials have found a body in the woods. Boone Police late in the afternoon confirmed that it is the body of missing Appalachian State student Anna Smith.
*Statement from Boone PD just before 2pm*
At Approximately 10:30 AM, Boone Police Officers responded to a report of a deceased individual located in a wooded area adjacent to Poplar Grove Road, on the west end of Town. Boone Police Investigators are processing the scene. The identity of the individual is unknown at this time.
*Updated statement from Boone Police just before 5pm*
Boone Police Investigators and North Carolina SBI Investigators have been processing the death scene off Poplar Grove Road. Initial evidence located at the scene indicates that the deceased is Anna M. Smith. A North Carolina Drivers License and an Appalachian State University Student Identification card belonging to Anna Marie Smith were found at the scene. A State Medical Examiner is on scene. The deceased will be transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for an autopsy. A timeframe for the completion of the autopsy and determination of the cause of death is not available.
As of 6:09pm Police are still directing traffic onto alternate routes.
