Marilane Carter: Remains found in SUV in empty shipping container confirmed as missing pastor’s wife

Arkansas police confirmed Friday that the body found in a car inside an empty shipping container earlier this week was that of missing Kansas mother Marilane Carter, last seen by her family on August 1, according to the Memphis Commercia-Appeal.

Crittenden County Chief investigator Todd Grooms revealed on Wednesday that Carter likely died of carbon monoxide poisoning, as CrimeOnline previously reported.

Carter left her Overland Park, Kansas, home on August 1 on her way to visit family in Birmingham, Alabama. She spoke with family members up until the following evening, then disappeared near the bridge crossing the Mississippi River from Arkansas into Memphis, Tennessee.

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A family member who had come to the area to help search for the missing woman over the weekend found the vehicle on Monday after he elected to stay behind while others returned home.

The cause and manner of Carter’s death has not yet been made official, but Grooms said foul play is not suspected.

“Given the information we received from the family about her latest communications and what we found on the scene, her demise was at her own doing,” he said, according to the Commercial-Appeal.

Earlier this week, Grooms told the Kansas City Star there was evidence that the GMC Acadia had been running for some time while inside the shipping container. Based on that evidence, he said, carbon monoxide poisoning is the likely cause of death.

Carter planned to visit family in Alabama and seek help from a medical clinic for sleep issues while there. Security footage showed her checking into a hotel in Quality Inn in West Plains, Missouri, early in the morning on August 2, but she only stayed around three hours.

Her family last heard from her by phone late that day, when she was just outside Memphis, Tennessee. Family members became worried when they didn’t hear from her again, sparking a large-scale search.

“These have been the longest weeks of our lives, as we tried to cling to hope that Marilane was still alive. Thank you to all who have offered words of encouragement, prayers, tips, help, and support during this very difficult time,” Carter’s family said on a social media post on Tuesday.

Carter leaves behind a husband and three children.

This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.