Gwinnett County police know the body recovered Saturday from the Yellow River is that of a male, but it will be up to the medical examiner to determine everything else — including if the remains belong to a teenager who went missing in the same area last month.
According to authorities, a kayaker traveling down the Lilburn-area river discovered the body around 4:30 p.m. Saturday between Bending River Trail and Stone Mountain Highway. Police and the Gwinnett County swift water rescue team were able to extricate the body by about 7 p.m.
“At this time, all that is known is that the body is that of a male,” police spokesman Sgt. Randy Work said in an emailed statement. “The race and age of the victim have yet to be determined and will be confirmed by the Medical Examiner.”
Police said Sunday that dental records will have to be compared and a positive identification could take “a few days.”
Among the considerations, however, will be Jaheem McGhee, a 14-year-old who went missing on the Yellow River on Nov. 19. Family members have previously said McGhee and friends were skipping classes at Parkview High School that day when they tried to cross the river to get away from a truancy officer.
He was last seen floating downstream as friends urged him to drop his bags, McGhee’s brother previously told Channel 2 Action News. The friends did not report him missing until the next day, and authorities searched the water for days before calling off the search.
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