More than four years after the body of a missing Gwinnett woman was found in a container near a construction site, a man has been convicted of her murder.

James Lee Griffin Jr., 60, was found guilty of first-degree murder, premeditated murder, aggravated assault and covering up the death of another person in connection with the June 2020 killing of 39-year-old Kathleen Bass.

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In July 2020, a construction worker said he smelled a foul odor near the site and noticed an overturned blue container. He used a device to lift it, and Bass’s remains, wrapped in sheets, fell out.

In a trash bag next to the dumpster was a pizza box with a receipt inside. The receipt listed Griffin’s name and an apartment complex in DeKalb County, just a mile from where Bass’ body was found.

When they searched his apartment, they found a large amount of blood that someone was trying to wipe away. Investigators concluded that she had been stabbed.

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A friend testified that she dropped Bass off at Griffin’s apartment and never heard from her again.

Ring doorbell camera footage showed Griffin leaving his apartment a few days later and dragging a blue container down the stairs.

Griffin moved to Arkansas after the murder and began working as a truck driver. He was arrested when he returned to DeKalb County in September 2020 to report to a bail bonds agency on another matter.

A date for the verdict has not yet been set.

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