Body found near river in Elbert Co. possibly missing Baldwin Co. man

Billy Hobbs, The Union-Recorder, Milledgeville, Ga.
·2 min read

Apr. 24—ELBERTON, Ga. — A body discovered in a rural area of Elbert County shortly before noon Wednesday is believed to be that of a missing Baldwin County man, local and state authorities say.

Mary Chandler, special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 6 Office in Milledgeville, said although positive identification had not yet been made, authorities believe the body is that of 24-year-old Dawson Brandon Lee.

Chandler told The Union-Recorder in a telephone interview on Wednesday afternoon that the body was found about a mile from where the missing man's vehicle was discovered abandoned a few days ago.

"We believe it's him," Chandler said.

But to be certain, authorities must wait for identification to be established through dental records at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Laboratory in Decatur.

After processing the scene where the body was found, it was later taken from the scene by the Elbert County Coroner's Office to a morgue.

An autopsy is expected to be performed at the GBI Crime Laboratory in Decatur where a state medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.

Chandler said authorities had spoken with Lee's parents.

She said she and other authorities at the scene, including deputies with the Elbert and Lincoln County sheriff's offices, believe the body is Lee's because of physical characteristics, and the location of where the body was found.

"We found some things that led us to him, basically," Chandler said. "We located items that were confirmed to be those of his that were close to where the body was located."

She would not disclose what type of items led them to the body.

Chandler said it is believed the victim injured himself.

"We believe that is what led to his death," she said, noting there was no indication of foul play.

The man's whereabouts had been the focus of an intensified search since his vehicle was found parked on the shoulder of Cooter Creek Road.

Deputies from two nearby sheriff's offices worked closely with GBI agents from Milledgeville, Thomson and Athens in an attempt to find the missing man. Helicopters from the aviation division of the Georgia State Patrol, as well as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, aided in the search.

During that entire time, Chandler said she kept detectives with the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office closely informed as the search was underway.