Mother of Two Found Dead Under Georgia Bridge After Years of Struggle and Renewal Family Seeks Justice

 The tragic death of Tanisha Rivers, a 34-year-old mother of two who had been working to rebuild her life after years of trauma, has sparked grief and outrage among her loved ones. Her body was discovered under a remote bridge near Bear Creek in Chattahoochee Hills on October 4, roughly 30 minutes southwest of downtown Atlanta.

Police have confirmed that they are treating her death as a homicide.

Investigators say Rivers had faced significant hardships from a young age. According to Chattahoochee Hills Police Chief Kevin Digou, she had been sex trafficked from the age of 13 and spent much of her adult life battling the trauma that followed. Despite these challenges, Rivers had recently begun to turn her life around.

“She definitely had, in the last two and a half years, turned over a new leaf,” Chief Digou told WSB-TV Atlanta. “Her line of work doesn’t devalue what we’re going to do to try and solve this. My detective has been working this case day in and day out. We’re throwing everything we can at this to get it solved and bring justice to her and her family.”

Authorities say Rivers had been staying at the Econo Lodge near Six Flags amusement park in the days before her death. Her SUV was later located at the Fulton Inn in Austell, just a short drive from where her remains were found.

Investigators believe she may have traveled between the two locations in the days before her disappearance. Police are now awaiting results from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

Rivers’ family describes her as a loving, generous, and vibrant woman who had worked hard to heal from the traumas of her past. Her aunt, Leona Simone Word, said that in recent months, Rivers had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, reconnecting with her church community, and striving for sobriety and stability.

“She was attending church, and I don’t even know the name of the church to be able to tell those people, but they were looking for her,” Word told WSB-TV. “She was attending AA meetings, so I feel like that was helping her battle those demons she had.”

Word also took to social media to express her heartbreak and to call for public awareness.

“We won’t rest until justice is served,” she wrote alongside photos of her niece. “Please share her name, her story, and her smile. Someone knows something.”

She described Rivers as “a very loving person the type that would give you the shirt off her back. Very, very sweet.”

Family members said Rivers had recently ended a relationship with a man in western Georgia who had been supportive of her recovery journey. Despite her difficult past, she had begun to find hope through faith, community, and treatment programs.

Police have not disclosed whether they believe foul play is connected to Rivers’ past, but investigators have not ruled out any possibilities.

Chief Digou emphasized that his department is fully committed to solving the case. “We’re putting every available resource into finding out what happened to Tanisha,” he said.

Online records show that Rivers lived in the Greenbriar neighborhood of southwest Atlanta, about 18 miles from where she was found. Her death has shaken many in the local recovery and faith communities, where she was remembered as someone who was trying hard to rebuild her life and set a positive example for her two children.

While police continue to piece together the timeline of her final days, her family says they will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice.

“Our family is still searching for answers,” Word said. “We just want to know what happened to her, and we want whoever did this to be held accountable.”

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the case to contact the Chattahoochee Hills Police Department.