GREENE COUNTY, Ark. — It’s been over a month since 32-year-old Jessica Paige Kemp was found dead after hiking by herself near Arkansas’s Lake Ashbaugh.

For the first time since the news of her death, Greene County Sheriff Brad Snyder spoke with WREG about what happened to her, and gave his insight into an ongoing investigation.

“Unfortunately, it’s not as fast as what you see on ‘CSI’ on television or something like that, this is a long, drawn-out process,” Snyder said.

The biggest question is: How did Jessica die?

What we have learned is that just days before Jessica went missing, she called the police saying there was a man under her car.

According to Snyder, a Greene County deputy went to see her, but did not find anyone under the car. And, according to Snyder, Kemp admitted to the deputy that she was using meth. 

“When he did make contact with her, she felt like somebody was in her car or underneath her car,” Snyder said. “During that interaction she had admitted to the deputy that she was using methamphetamine, and that she also quit taking her mental health medications.”

Greene County learned through their investigation that Kemp had a history with meth. Snyder said that one of the side effects of the drug is that users get very hot.

While the investigation is still ongoing, Snyder’s assumption is that Kemp was using meth, got hot, took her clothes off and swam in a nearby pond where she later got up and laid down, and never woke up.

“Looking at the path of the clothing, looking at where she was found, it appears that she began taking her clothes off, and ended up swimming. The pond is probably four feet deep at most. She was wading and swimming across that, and ended up in the area where she was located, the wooded area,” Snyder said.

Last Sunday, we spoke with Jessica’s mom, Sandy, at her memorial in Millington. She believes her daughter was murdered. 

“She didn’t get lost, my daughter didn’t get lost,” Sandy Kemp said. “I think my daughter was murdered. Actually, I know she was.”

 Kemp points to the fact that her daughter’s belongings were found in another man’s house.

Sheriff Snyder agrees with that fact, but says the man, who was another camper, took Jessica’s clothes when he noticed an empty car after she had already disappeared. 

Kemp said Sunday she would like changes made to her daughter’s investigation.

“Oh, I would like to see Brad Snyder step down, so it can be run correctly, that’s what I would like to see,” she said.

We reached out to both Brad Snyder and Sandy Kemp for further comment.

The family has hired a private investigator who says he also disagrees with how the case is being handled.

Sheriff Snyder says that he hopes the family can respect Greene County’s investigation.