The discovery of human remains on a wooded stretch of land in Lumpkin County appears to be tied to the disappearance of Tony Lamar Cates and has led to a murder charge for his brother, according to a release by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
On Friday evening it was announced that Charles Edwards Cates Jr, 55, of Dahlonega has been arrested after unidentified remains were found near the Mill Creek community.
“The remains are believed to be related to an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Tony Lamar Cates, 52, of Dahlonega,” stated the release.
When talking to The Nugget, Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said specific details couldn’t yet be released due to the ongoing investigation but added that the remains of the body have been sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
“We’re waiting on further identification of the remains to confirm that it’s the person that we feel it might be,” he said, “which is Tony Cates.”
It was more than a year ago that Tony Cates was originally reported missing.
He was last heard from on the morning of Monday, May 10 when he spoke with a co-worker over the phone, according to a report from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.
Later that morning his truck was found in the parking lot of Mill Creek Baptist Church with the keys still in the ignition and his phone turned off and under the seat. He also left behind what appeared to be his lunch for the day. Tony Cates was seen the day before and appeared to be in “good condition” according to an LCSO press release from last year.
The area around the church, which is in the Mill Creek community, was searched multiple times by officials and volunteers.
On Friday, Charles Cates, who is a registered sex offender, was arrested for the second time in two weeks as he had been charged with two counts of failure to register his new address on August 17.
GBI officials said the investigation is still ongoing.
“I can just say that my thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the individual that lost his life,” said Jarrard. “The investigation is continuing and we’re working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to complete the investigation.”
Jarrard also asked for prayers for the law enforcement officers who worked the scene where the remains were discovered.
“There are certain things that people shouldn’t see, and this is one of those things,” he said.
For further updates check back in with thedahloneganugget.com.