Police have issued an arrest warrant for Nathan Summerfield, left, after Lynn Jackenheimer, right, was found dead in North Carolina's Outer Banks. (Ashland County Sheriff's Office)
FRISCO, N.C. – Authorities in North Carolina say they have found a body near where an Ohio mother who disappeared while on vacation with her children was last seen.
Fox 8 reports authorities in Dare County, North Carolina responded to a report of a body in a 'suspicious condition' on Hatteras Island Saturday afternoon.
The body was found about 20 or 30 miles away from where 33-year-old Lynn Jackenheimer, of Ashland, Ohio disappeared. Dare County Sheriff's Capt. Charles Neiman tells The Associated Press investigators are not yet sure if the body is that of a man or a woman.
Jackenheimer disappeared while on vacation in the Outer Banks with her two children and her on-and-off boyfriend 27-year-old Nathaniel Summerfield.
Summerfield dropped the woman's two children off at a family member's home on July 8 and disappeared. He has not been seen since, and is considered a person of interest in Jackenheimer's disappearance.
Summerfield's brother called police shortly after his brother vanished, claiming his brother had confessed to strangling Jackenheimer.
Past police records show the relationship between Jackenheimer and Summerfield may have been tumultuous for years.
An arrest warrant and affidavit for a temporary restraining order in December 2009 detail an argument in which Summerfield grabbed Jackenheimer "by her throat and choked her, Fox 8 reported. Then he allegedly pulled her to the floor and dragged her from the kitchen into the living room, then into the hallway by her neck."
The documents say "Lynn had red marks on her neck and scrapes on her forearms from trying to stop herself while Nathan was dragging her from room to room."
In hand written notes for the temporary restraining order they quote Jackenheimer as saying she is scared of the defendant "she said "it’s hard telling what he would do to me.'"
Jackenheimer works at Beer Barrel in Ashland and has not reported to work this week, Dean Emmons, her boss, said. He offered $1,000 of his own money as a reward to find Jackenheimer and Summerfield.
The two children, ages 3 and 13, are not much help with the investigation because they have been largely “kept in the dark” about a lot of things,” Richert told Fox 8. Relatives said the children understand their mom is missing.
Some members of Jackenheimer's family traveled to North Carolina Friday to assist in the search, Fox 8 reports.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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