Slain teen’s body found in cemetery by family visiting loved one’s grave, GA police say
An investigation is underway after a dead body was discovered in a central Georgia cemetery over the weekend.
A suspect has since been arrested and charged, McClatchy News reported.
Lamar County sheriff’s deputies responded Sunday to a burial site across from Unionsville Church in Barnesville, about 40 miles northwest of Macon, according to police.
A family visiting their mother’s grave spotted the remains near the back of the cemetery, Sheriff Brad White told WSB-TV.
Authorities haven’t publicly identified the victim but have described her as a 17-year-old Black female from the Atlanta metro area, according to a news release. Deputies are in the process of notifying her next of kin.
The sheriff’s office said the victim suffered at least one gunshot wound. Officials don’t yet know if the shooting occurred at the cemetery or somewhere else.
Her body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab, where an autopsy is pending, investigators said.
The agency’s crime scene unit is also aiding in the investigation.
McClatchy News reached out to the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office for more information Monday and is awaiting response.
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Slain teen’s body found in cemetery by family visiting loved one’s grave, GA police say."