An Atlanta teacher’s body has been discovered in Lake Oconee after a 28-day search that ended this weekend. Gary Jones was found by a specialized underwater recovery team.
🔍 Why It Matters: Local families are watching a tragic conclusion to a case that gripped the community since early February. The discovery brings closure to Jones’ loved ones who funded the private search after official efforts were suspended.
🌊 What Happened:
- A nonprofit group called Bruce’s Legacy located Jones’ body after searching for just over a day, according to Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills.
- The recovery came after the Georgia Department of Natural Resources had already suspended their search on March 3, despite investing over 1,830 hours into the search.
⏱️ Catch Up Quick: Jones and his fiancee Joycelyn Wilson disappeared on February 8. While rescuers found Wilson’s body the next day, Jones remained missing for nearly a month.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
