Body Found in Franklin Co.

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

An autopsy will be done on the body of a man who was found dead in Franklin County last weekend.

According to Franklin County Sheriff Stevie Thomas, the body of the unidentified man was found Sunday on property off Georgia Highway 51 in the northern part of the county.

“The Franklin County Sheriff’s office along with the Franklin County Coroner’s office are conducting a death investigation of a deceased, white male,” he said. “The investigation began Sunday, June 5 when a family discovered the deceased victim on their property.”

The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy, Thomas said.

“The case is continuing and law enforcement investigators are interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence on this incident,” he said.

Sheriff Thomas said the body found Sunday is not that of a man reported missing from Royston.

60-year old Jesse McGee Garrett Jr. walked away from his home on the morning of May 2nd and has not been seen since.

Thomas said the name of the victim has not been released pending notification of out-of-state relatives.