The GBI is investigating the discovery of human remains that authorities believe could be those of a man who disappeared more than a year ago.
Tony Lamar Cates, 52, went missing in May 2021, and GBI officials think the remains may be linked to the ongoing investigation into his disappearance.
The state agency on Friday announced the arrest of Cates’ older brother, 55-year-old Charles Edward Cates Jr., who was charged with murder following the discovery. Online booking records show the Dahlonega man arrested Wednesday and remained in custody at the Lumpkin County Detention Center on Saturday.
The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating Tony Cates’ disappearance since he vanished without a trace in May 2021. The day he was reported missing, his truck was found abandoned in the parking lot of Mill Creek Baptist Church in Dahlonega, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The unidentified remains were found near the Mill Creek community that surrounds the church, the GBI indicated. State officials said they will send the remains to Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy that will confirm an identity.
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