The body found off the side of Flat Shoals Road in Newton County has been identified, putting a grim end to the search for a man reported missing earlier this month. Authorities have confirmed the deceased as 20-year-old Dequandre Smith, whose absence since March 2 had sparked an intensive search by local law enforcement and community members.
After the Newton County Sheriff's Office and the GBI's Medical Examiner's Office completed their identification process, news surfaced of the tragic discovery, according to a FOX 5 Atlanta report. Smith suffered from schizophrenia, a detail that lent urgency to his family's plea and the subsequent search that employed K9 units and a helicopter to canvas the area.
The initial alert from the sheriff's office had painted a hopeful picture, with assistance from Newton County Fire, Alpha Team, and Georgia State Patrol playing critical roles in the widespread hunt for Smith. The day the body was found, deputies responded to a 911 call that led them to the site off Flat Shoals Road late Friday night, as stated in the WSB-TV article.
Despite the circumstances of the discovery, officials have not indicated any suspicion of foul play. The cause and manner of death for Smith remain undetermined, keeping this an active investigation. The process could unveil answers that Smith's family has been desperate to know since his disappearance over three weeks ago.
Both the sheriff's office and the GBI are keeping details close to the vest as they work through the case. The GBI Medical Examiner's Office, following the autopsy, has yet to make official statements concerning Smith's cause of death. The community and Smith's family now wait for clarity and closure that only the conclusion of this grim inquiry can provide.
