A man who Rockdale County authorities said fled from a sheriff's deputy Thursday after his car overturned and was later found dead was the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the GBI Crime Lab said Friday.
Noel Heard, 42, of Gwinnett County was found mortally wounded behind a house after his vehicle overturned on Farmer Road near Rockbridge Road, according to a Sheriff's Department statement. He was taken to Rockdale Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Sheriff's Department, Heard fled from a deputy who had turned his vehicle around to approach Heard after finding the man's vehicle suspicious.
The GBI said agents later recovered about 50 pounds of marijuana from Heard's vehicle and $8,000 in cash.
A .40-caliber Glock pistol, which had been fired once, and a spent shell casing were found beside Heard's body, the GBI said.
The crime lab said Rockdale Sheriff Jeff Wigington asked the GBI to investigate the death.
