Investigation into body found in Lavonia continues
Authorities in Lavonia and agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation continue to wait on the results of an autopsy on the body of a man found in a wooded area near I-85 on Labor Day.
Franklin County Coroner Scott O’Barr said last week that they are still waiting for the results of the dental records he submitted in the first week of September.
O’Barr said if the dental records are inconclusive, they will have to test the body’s DNA, which he was told would take at least 90 days for results to come back.
On Monday, September 4, at about 1pm, the body of a male was found off Robin Lane in Lavonia by a local resident who was in the area checking on his wildlife cameras.
Relatives of a Cleveland man who went missing in July believe the remains may be that of their loved one.
36-year-old Douglas Cordell Barnes has been missing since July 19.
Cordell’s 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 Facebook page set up to find Cordell, Debbie Barnes stated in a post dated September 5 that she had received a call from Lavonia Police Chief Shane Edmisten and O’Barr, telling her that the remains had clothes similar to what her son was wearing when he disappeared.
WNEG sister station WLHR News reached out to the GBI and were told they have no further information other than that the investigation is continuing and the Crime Lab continues to work on identifying the man.