TUSCUMBIA-The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation of the 2020 disappearance of Courtney Staggs. The investigation, which began after Staggs was reported missing on August 13, 2020, led to the identification of remains found in rural Colbert County later that year.
On November 18, 2020, human remains were discovered in a remote area of Colbert County. The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and began a through investigation. The remains were transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Huntsville for the examination. In the fall of 2023, the remains were sent to the FBI Forensic Lab in Virginia for further analysis.
In May 2024, the remains were positively identified as belonging to Courtney Staggs. Following this identification,

Orlando Javier Whiteside
investigators resumed their efforts, conducting interviews, verifying locations, and analyzing electronic data from phones and social media. This evidence led to a suspect in the case.
The case was presented to the Colbert County Grand Jury in January 2025, resulting in an indictment being issued for Orlando Javier Whiteside of Colbert County for Abuse of a Corpse. Whiteside was arrested and taken into custody, where he was processed at the Colbert County Jail.
Sheriff’s officials are continuing their investigation and encourage any one with information regarding this case to come forward.
Colbert County Sheriff’s Department remains committed to seeking justice for Courtney Staggs and her family. This is an important step forward, but the investigation is ongoing, and we expect more arrests to come.
The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank all the agencies involved in the investigation, including the Colbert County District Attorney’s Office, Colbert County Coroner’s Office, Muscle Shoals Police Department, Florence Police Department, Russellville Police Department, ALEA, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, the FBI, and the public for their assistance.
Media Release/Colbert County Sheriff’s Department