UPDATE: Thursday, October 29 @ 2:30pm
MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Mason County Sheriff's Department is still investigating a homicide where a woman was found dead along side of a road.

Sheriff David Anthony says 35-year-old Tonya Lynn Slaughter of Huntington was found on Tuesday.

Investigators tell WSAZ.com they are questioning several people in the case, but no arrests have been made.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the very latest information.

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UPDATE from 11pm Wednesday 10/28
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Linda Deering spoke lovingly Wednesday about Tonya Slaughter -- the young woman she adopted 24 years ago after Tonya's mother passed away.

"When I look at this picture, I think of her smile," Deering said as she gazed at a photo of Tonya. "(She was a) very beautiful girl. Having her in my home was a pure joy."

Slaughter's body was found Tuesday morning in a rural Mason County field. Deering says she believes Tonya was murdered.

"There will not be any rest until someone is found who done this to her," she said.

One of Slaughter's three children attends Spring Hill Elementary where kids are gathering donations to help pay for the burial, flowers and even clothing for the funeral.

If you have any information on Tonya Slaughter's death, you're asked to give the Mason County Sheriff's Department a call.

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UPDATE from 6pm Wednesday 10/28
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- We spoke Wednesday with Tonya Slaughter's family who told us she left behind three young girls, as well as many other family members and friends who loved her dearly.

Linda Deering, who had adopted Tonya, said she can't believe someone would kill her daughter.

"Only an animal could do this to anyone," she said. "Who could shoot someone in the head and leave those girls without a mother? It's just really sad."

One of Tonya's daughters attends Spring Hill Elementary in Huntington where students are gathering donations to help the family.

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UPDATE: Wednesday 10/28 8:25 a.m.
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Mason County Sheriff's Office has released the name of the woman found dead along the side of the road on Tuesday.

Sheriff David Anthony says the victim is 35-year-old Tonya Lynn Slaughter of Huntington.

The Sheriff says that Slaughter has no family or known connections with Mason County.

No word yet on how Slaughter died.

Court records in Cabell County show that Slaughter lived at a residence on 8th Avenue in Huntington for part of the year in 2007.

She also has no criminal past in Cabell County.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for the latest information.

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UPDATE: Tuesday 10/27 3:15 p.m.
APPLE GROVE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Sheriff's deputies in Mason County are now calling a body found on the side of the road a homicide.

They are not yet releasing any information on the victim, including the sex, or how the person died.

It happened Tuesday morning on Barton Chapel Road in the Apple Grove area of the county, which is off Jerry's Run Road.

The sheriff's department does say it believes this is an isolated event.

They hope to release more information as the investigation progresses.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for more information.

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ORIGINAL STORY
APPLE GROVE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Sheriff's deputies in Mason County are investigating a body found on the side of the road Tuesday morning.

It happened on Barton Chapel Road in the Apple Grove area of the county, which is off Jerry's Run Road.

Investigators are not releasing much information at this point, but our crew at the scene reports that the body is wrapped up in a sheet.

Keep clicking on WSAZ.com for more information.

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