MOUNT DORA, Fla. -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says it's conducting an investigation to determine whether there's a link between a missing Lake County teen and a body found in Volusia County.

  • Justis Garrett, 16, disappeared in mid-April
  • Several days later, woman's body found in DeLand
  • Investigators looking into possible link between cases

Mount Dora Police say 16-year-old Justis Garrett was dropped off at Mount Dora High School on April 13 and never came home.

The following week, on April 18, a woman's remains were found on Gasline Road in DeLand. 

Police say Garrett was living in New Smyrna Beach before moving back to Lake County.  

"Apparently, they moved to Sorrento from New Smyrna Beach about a month ago and they believe that maybe she went back to New Smyrna Beach, so we've been in contact with authorities there to try and find her," said Lisa McDonald a spokeswoman for the city of Mount Dora.

"Detectives tried calling the cell phone that the mother provided, and it just keeps going to voicemail," McDonald said.

Garrett's family members say some of them were asked to provide DNA to FDLE investigators.

If you have any information on the case, you're asked to call Mount Dora Police at 352-735-7130.