Body found last month in Lavonia is that of missing man

MJ Knieser/WLHR

The body of a man found in Lavonia in early September is that of a missing Cleveland Georgia man.

On Friday, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles issued a short statement, “The Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the remains as Douglas Cordell Barnes. We don’t have any additional information at this time, and our case will remain open until the lab reports are completed.”

Miles said Friday the cause of death is still being determined based on the results of the lab tests.  

Barnes went missing on July 19 when he left his home in Cleveland to go camping and never returned.

On Monday, September 4, the Barnes’ body was found off Robin Lane in Lavonia by a local resident who was in the area checking on his wildlife cameras.

Barnes’ mother, Debbie Barnes said that in mid-July, Cordell told her he was planning to go camping but she said he always camped in and around the Helen area in Lumpkin County and had no reason to be in Hart County.

His gold Ford F-150 Crew Cab was located in Hart County on July 29 parked on the side of Highway 59 near Providence Church Road.

On a special Facebook page set up to find Cordell Debbie Barnes stated she had received a call from Lavonia Police Chief Shane Edmisten and Franklin County Coroner Scott O’Barr shortly after the body was found that the remains were wearing clothes similar to what her son was wearing when he disappeared.

The family provided the GBI Crime Lab with dental records, but O’Barr said since there were no x-rays included with the records the Crime Lab turned to using DNA to positively determine Barnes’ identity.

The Medical Examiner’s office is testing the DNA of the remains for confirmation, a process that could take weeks, according to O’Barr.