Human remains found in mid-November in Cherokee County were identified Friday, and authorities are now trying to find out if the discovery is linked to another case, the Canton Police Department said.
Officers were called to Reformation Parkway near the Waleska Street underpass after the remains were spotted near the Etowah River on Nov. 17, police said. They were located in overgrown vegetation being cleared by the property and were released to the GBI Crime Lab for further investigation.
The remains were identified by the GBI as 62-year-old John Waller. The agency is still working to determine a cause of death.
It was the third time since June that a body had been found in Canton. But investigators previously said there was no indication all three cases are related.
On June 21, officers recovered the body of 42-year-old William Watkins near Reformation Parkway and Waleska Street in the woodline, according to police. The GBI Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the case a homicide. Then on July 8, detectives arrested Jacob Huckabay on felony murder charges.
On July 16, officers recovered the body of Pedro Hernandez-Santiago upstream in the Etowah River, near Brown Street, north of Waleska Street, police said. An autopsy ruled the cause of death to be an accidental drowning. Investigators do not suspect foul play in the death and do not believe it is related to the remains found this week.
“Detectives are actively investigating to determine if there are any connections to the William Watkins homicide case,” Canton police said in a statement after the discovery. “Further details will be provided as the investigation progresses and will be made available.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Canton police at 770-720-4883.
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