Police Officer Arrested In Missing Woman Case

A police officer who works with the estranged husband of a missing Walker County 911 dispatcher has been charged with making false statements in the investigation of the missing woman.

Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson and Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Jerry Scott said Tuesday that LaFayette police officer Harbin Chaffin was arrested for making false statements.

Chaffin works as a supervisor on the same shift as Sgt. Sam Parker, estranged husband of dispatcher, Theresa Parker, who has been missing since March 21.

Wilson and Scott declined say what the false statements pertained to, but the investigation has included dozens of interviews.

Wilson, said Chaffin's arrest was not a resolution in the case, but it was progress.

"And, any progress is significant," he said.

Meanwhile, crews continued Tuesday to drain a large pond on property located near the home where the Parkers had lived before their separation.

Police divers had searched the pond over the weekend, but investigators decided to drain the pond to inspect it more carefully. It was said to be deep and have brush and obstructions that made it difficult for divers.

Sam Parker, a veteran LaFayette Police Department sergeant, has been on leave from his job since his wife was reported missing.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent James Harris told the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Saturday that Sam Parker is considered a "person of interest" in the disappearance of his wife.

The couple was in the process of getting a divorce when the woman disappeared.

Theresa Parker was last seen late on March 21, and family members reported her missing early March 24.