Death of Georgia college student Anitra Gunn ruled homicide

The death of 23-year-old Georgia college student Anitra Gunn has been ruled a homicide, officials said Thursday, as they asked for help finding a bumper missing from her car.

Her cause of death is pending toxicology results, officials with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said.

Days after she disappeared, Gunn's body was found in a wooded area of Crawford County, Georgia, near the Peach County line, on Tuesday afternoon, GBI officials said. Evidence has been recovered from the area, they said.

"Please continue to pray for us as there are no words to describe this hurt," her father, Christopher Gunn, wrote on Facebook Wednesday.

Gunn, a student at Fort Valley State University, was last seen on Friday, Feb. 14, at approximately 11:30 a.m., just outside Fort Valley, according to the Department of Public Safety. Fort Valley is about 30 miles outside of Macon.

Gunn's family contacted the police on Saturday when they couldn't reach her, and later on Saturday, her car was found in the city limits of Fort Valley, authorities said.

Gunn's boyfriend, Demarcus Little, has been arrested on unrelated charges, GBI officials said.

Little, 23, was charged with criminal damage to property after the tires were slashed on Gunn's car and the windows were smashed at her apartment, the Fort Valley Department of Public Safety said. More charges are possible, according to the department of public safety.

GBI officials said Thursday that while part of Gunn's 2013 Chevrolet Cruze was found, the white bumper is still missing. The state investigators are asking the public for help finding the missing piece.

Authorities are also still following up on leads and conducting interviews, the GBI said.

"Thank you to all who helped search and post and call and prayed for Anitra's return," Christopher Gunn said in a statement Wednesday. "We are processing the devastating news and kindly ask for respect and privacy during this time as we wrap our hearts and minds around all of this."