Editor’s Note: This story has been updated on October 16 with information about the deceased being identified and October 17 with GoFundMe information fundraising to cover funeral costs.


The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating a body found on Sunday morning in the western, unincorporated part of the county.

A release from the sheriff’s office Sunday afternoon said it received a report from a man walking his dog who discovered a human body off of Heron Pond Drive before 9 a.m. — a road off Old Greensboro Road and more than six miles west of Carrboro. The deceased person was initially described as a white female in her thirties and her identity kept private until their next of kin was notified. Investigators later said the body is of Susan Margaret Horkay, a 35-year-old commonly known as Skylar Brooks who was a resident of Greensboro.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said that Horkay appeared to have died no more than 24 hours before she was discovered Sunday morning and that investigators saw “no obvious cause of death.” No details of the scene were given, and investigators said the medical examiner has yet to formally determine the time or cause of death.

In its release, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who may have seen “any unusual activity” on or near Heron Pond Road over the weekend to call Investigator Gilchrist with its office at 919-245-2928.

No further information is being made public as of Sunday evening, according to investigators.

A GoFundMe campaign was started by someone claiming to be Horkay’s friend on Monday after their identity was released to the public. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $1,500 was raised.

Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.


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