Person Of Interest In Custody In Connection To Cherokee County Homicide

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said they have a person of interest in custody in connection to a missing person case that turned into a homicide investigation.

The sheriff said deputies found a burned vehicle with a body inside, and believe it is 18-year-old Braeden Collins, who was reported missing by his mother. 

Braeden's mother made a post Wednesday, saying all the information she received about what happened to her son, was told to her by a friend of Braeden's, but, his mother is not sure at this point what is true and what is rumor. She posted, she was told Braeden was at a party, then left intoxicated, and crashed his car, but she said none of that has been confirmed and she's desperate for the truth. 

Cherokee County Sheriff Jason Chennault said Collins' family reported him missing on Sunday. 

"They believe that he had been in Cherokee County on Saturday evening, early Sunday morning, for a party," Sheriff Chennault said. 

Sheriff Chennault said Braeden called someone he knew and said he was leaving a party and he said he had gotten into a fight, and then crashed his car. 

The sheriff said he made plans for someone to pick him up at a convenience store, but he never showed. Deputies searched the area and found an abandoned house.

"They could tell one vehicle had went in, and it didn't look like anything had come out, they searched that area and found a burned vehicle that had a body in it" Sheriff Chennault said. 

He said they believe that's Braeden, but they are waiting on the medical examiner's office for confirmation. He said they do now have someone in custody. 

"We've done a lot of interviews, we've been to a lot of different places, the information that we've been given, we have the right person in custody, we still just need some more information," he said. 

Sheriff Chennault said they are now trying to piece together exactly what happened and who was involved. 

"We haven't been home, and have slept very little since Monday morning, so we're going to be at it as long as we can," he said. 

If you have any information, you are asked to call the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.