Sheriff: Bodies of missing Va. woman, 2 kids believed found after car located in Leesburg creek

LEESBURG, Va. - The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said three bodies found in a car that was located crashed in a creek in Leesburg are believed to be of a Virginia woman and two young children reported missing since last week.

A large presence of police and emergency responders were seen at Hogeland Mill Road and Evergreen Mills Road Monday afternoon as the 2002 blue four-door Ford Taurus of 27-year-old Courtney Ashe was found flipped and partially under water in Sycolin Creek.

Ashe, of Suffolk, Virginia, was last seen leaving a family home in Ashburn last Friday with her 5-year-old son, Cameron Martin, and her 9-year-old cousin, Jalen Sills-Russell.

Police said Ashe initially traveled from her uncle's home in Leesburg with her cousin to Ashburn to pick up her son. Afterwards, the three were expected to return to Leesburg, but never arrived.

The three were reported missing to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office the following morning after concern for their well-being.

Loudoun County Sheriff Michael Chapman said family members from New Jersey came down to Virginia to help conduct a search on Monday for the 27-year-old woman and two kids. One of those family members located Ashe's car that apparently went through a guardrail and into the water. The sheriff's office responded to the area of the creek after being contacted at around 5:25 p.m.

The bodies found in the car will be taken to the medical examiner's office to confirm their identities, Chapman said.

Foul play is not suspected at this point, according to the sheriff. Heavy rain fell in the area on Friday and authorities are investigating whether it may have contributed to the car going into the creek.

"It's just a tragic end to a tragic scenario and we really feel for the family," said Sheriff Chapman. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them. It's a very difficult time for everybody, very difficult for our deputies. Unfortunately we see this more than we would like to, but it is part of the job. We are just happy to provide whatever comfort we can to the family at this point and try to bring this to some sort of closure. But it's such a difficult situation for everybody."