Body Of Missing West Georgia Student Found; 2 Arrested

Carrollton police now have two people in custody charged in the slaying of a college student missing for a week.

Detectives confirmed that they discovered the body of 21-year old Marcelle "Marci" Elliott in a wooded area off Laurel Road about 5 miles from where she was last seen on July 22. But investigators told Channel 2 Action News reporter Richard Elliot that they believe she was killed in a home on Lovvorn Road just 400 yards from the loft apartments where she was last seen.

The home belongs to one of the suspects, 29-year old Farrah Strength. Joshua Clay, 31, is also charged with murder.

Detectives believe Strength and Clay knew Elliott and lured her to the house to kill her.

"It's extremely sad," said Carrollton police Capt. Jamison Sailors. "It's always awful when a 21-year old girl loses her life. It's never an easy thing. I know it's not easy for the family."

Police said Elliott's father first made contact with Strength shortly after he reported his daughter missing. He found her number while searching through his daughter's cell phone account. At first, police said Stength was very helpful in talking with the father and with police.

"She was very cooperative," said Sailors. "She spoke with detectives. But then the evidence started mounting and she turned into a suspect."

Police would not give a motive for the killing and said they're waiting for an autopsy to determine how Elliott was killed.

"She's the type of person I would stay away from," said E.J. Critten, Strength's neighbor on Lovvern Road.

Critten watched early Thursday morning as police searched Strength's house and carted away boxes of evidence. He said he knew Strength pretty well, but kept his daughters away from her because she often acted and spoke strangely.

WSB-TV Strength Family Handwritten Statement Strength family hand-written statement

"She was a cool person until she told me she had seen a demon," said Critten. "She said a demon had talked to her when she was a little girl and had drove her to study demons."

Strength's mother did not want to speak on camera, but provided Channel 2 with a hand-written statement. It read, "First, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family. And with all sincerity, I know nothing about this incident, and have no further statement. I would appreciate if the media would leave my family alone in this difficult time."

Strength and Clay are at the Carroll County Jail. They're expected to make their first court appearance Friday morning.