Bond denied for Alabama man charged in murder of Georgia woman whose body was never found

CrimeEden Sexton, 49, disappeared from Georgia in February 2026. An Alabama man has now been charged with murder.(Contributed)By Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.comA 68-year-old murder suspect will be held without bond in the slaying of a Georgia woman who has been missing since February.Comer McWaters, who lists addresses in Auburn and Macon County’s Little Texas community, is charged with murder in the slaying of 49-year-old Eden Sexton.McWaters went before Macon County District Judge Deborah Biggers Tuesday for an Aniah’s Law hearing. When it ended, the judge denied him bond.Biggers wrote that in denying McWaters bond, she took into consideration the seriousness of the charge, the weight of the evidence against him, his history and characteristics, past conduct and his history of drug or alcohol abuse including a pending charge against him for possession of a controlled substance and his extensive criminal history in Alabama.Sexton disappeared from Columbus, Ga. on Feb. 22, 2026. She was reportedly last seen at McWaters’ home, friends and family have said on social media.Columbus police investigators in June contacted ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation regarding Sexton’s disappearance.ALEA investigators later identified McWaters as a person of interest.They did not elaborate, but family and friends posted on Facebook that blood found in McWaters’ house, shed and car matched Sexton’s DNA.Charging documents state that McWaters picked up Sexton in Columbus on Feb. 22 and drove her to Auburn.The criminal complaint states Sexton was killed in Macon County.McWaters was taken into custody earlier this month in Perry County, Mississippi where his arrest followed a day-long manhunt.He was extradited last week and booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility. Family and friends have posted on social media that she was last seen at McWaters’ home.Because her body has not yet been found, a cause of death has not been confirmed.The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation took over the probe in June when the agency was contacted by Columbus police.The Alabama Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case. A date for a preliminary hearing has not yet been set. Carol Robinson is a senior reporter for AL.com, covering crime, public safety and breaking news in more than 30 Alabama counties. She began her journalism career at The Birmingham News in 1986, and has covered...