Body found in woods identified as man who vanished months ago, Georgia officials say
.png "Douglas “Cordell” Barnes of White County, Georgia, had been missing since July. Deputies, state agencies and locals searched for the 36-year-old man, whose truck was found abandoned July 21.")
UPDATE: A body found in Lavonia, Georgia, on Sept. 4 has been identified as Douglas Cordell Barnes, 36, according to an Oct. 30 update from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The original story is below.
An air and ground search for a missing Georgia man turned up dry as the search for him enters its fourth week.
Douglas “Cordell” Barnes, 36, was last seen July 19 leaving his home in White County, Georgia, according to a news release from the Hart County Sheriff’s Office. On July 21, his gold F-150 truck was found stuck in the mud at a four-way intersection in Hart County, Georgia.
But Barnes wasn’t reported missing until nine days after he was last seen, so when deputies first ran the plates on his abandoned truck, no flag was raised. On July 28, his family reported him missing to the White County Sheriff’s Office, according to the news release.
When a Hart County deputy checked the abandoned vehicle’s registration again on July 31, he learned its owner was missing, investigators said.
“Hart County Sheriffs deputies have searched multiple areas, gone door to door, and followed up on many leads in an attempt to locate Mr. Barnes,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
His truck was found about 50 miles southeast of White County near Lake Hartwell.
The weekend of Aug. 12, several county and state agencies, along with family members and locals, conducted a ground and air search to find Barnes, deputies said.
Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit search and recovery program, helped with the weekend search as well.
“I want to thank everybody and the law enforcement for doing everything they can to find my son,” Barnes’ mother posted on Facebook. “I pray for you all and I pray that if anybody does know anything, that they report it please I want my son please.”
Barnes’ sister also thanked everyone who came out for the search and supported the family.
“We will not give up on my brother and I know he will be found alive. This community and Lavonia has been wonderful,” she wrote on Facebook.
Investigators are asking that the public share any information they may have.
Hart County is about 110 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published August 14, 2023 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Body found in woods identified as man who vanished months ago, Georgia officials say."