Pregnant woman's body found in bayou, floating in duffel bag

Escambia County, Florida - Samira Watkins' body was found stuffed inside a duffel bag floating along the west bank Bayou Grande, her aunt said Wednesday.

The grisly detail is the latest turn in a tragedy that began with the 25-year-old mother's disappearance on Oct. 29. Two men riding personal watercrafts found her body about 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Betty Joseph, Watkins' aunt, said the family is coping as best they can.

"It's just hard," she said. "Samira was a good person, a good mother, a hard worker and always had a smile on her face. We're just ready to have some closure."

Watkins was two months pregnant and had a 4-year-old son. She was last seen leaving her family's West DeSoto Street house to visit the father of her unborn child in the 3500 block Creighton Road, family members said.

Pensacola Assistant Police Chief Chip Simmons said investigators are questioning persons of interest, but no arrests have been made. The father of Watkins' unborn child — a married man — has not been publicly identified, but Simmons said he has been interviewed several times.

The cause of Watkins' death has not been determined, Simmons said.

Watkins was manager of a McDonald's on Pine Forest Road and a student in the dental hygienist program at Pensacola Junior College.

Pensacola police are searching for Watkins' red 1997 Ford Taurus with a Florida tag number B387FP. Anyone with information about the car should call the police at 435-1900.