By: Jerry Neace
(Lavonia)- Authorities in Northeast Georgia are waiting on autopsy results to determine whether a body discovered in Franklin County on Monday is that of a missing White County man.
Franklin County Coroner Scott O’Barr says officials recovered a man’s body Monday afternoon in a wooded area just outside of Lavonia off Interstate 85. According to O’Barr, 911 dispatchers received a call around one o’clock Monday from an individual walking in a wooded area checking his trail cameras who told them he thought he found a body.
After confirming the body’s location, law enforcement requested assistance from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.
O’Barr says his office worked the case, knowing there had been a missing person’s case close to the area. 36-year-old Cordell Barnes of Cleveland has been missing since late July. His abandoned pickup truck was found in nearby Hart County.
“We’re in between, so we worked the case as it was potentially this person,” says O’Barr. The coroner confirms that the body recovered was a male and says it was severely decomposed.
Douglas Cordell Barnes was last seen at his home in Cleveland on July 19th.
“At this point, we don’t know the exact cause or manner of death, and we have not confirmed the identification at this time. We are waiting on positive identification from dental records from the GBI’s Medical Examiner’s office,” he said.
Douglas “Cordell” Barnes’ family filed a missing person’s report with the White County Sheriff’s Office on July 28.
Barnes’ family is aware of the latest developments. His mother says they are staying in close contact with law enforcement, awaiting the autopsy results.
