Human remains may belong to missing man, Georgia police say. Now, brother is charged
A north Georgia man has been arrested and charged after human remains, thought to be his brother’s, were found in Lumpkin County last week, news outlets report.
Charles Edward Cates Jr., 55, of Dahlonega, was booked on a murder charge after authorities discovered the unidentified remains on Friday, Aug. 26, near the Mill Creek community, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Cates’ arrest comes more than a year after his younger brother, Tony Cates, 52, went missing in May 2021.
“The remains are believed to be related to an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Tony Lamar Cates, 52, of Dahlonega,” investigators said in a news release.
The day he went missing, Tony Cates’ empty truck was found around 5:30 a.m in the parking lot of a nearby church, WSB-TV reported. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
The remains haven’t been identified as of Tuesday, Aug. 30, and will undergo an autopsy at the medical examiner’s office, the GBI said.
Cates was booked into the Lumpkin County Detention Center on Wednesday, Aug. 24, and remains held without bond as of Aug. 30, booking records show.
Authorities said the case is under investigation.
Dahlonega is about 65 miles northeast of Atlanta.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Human remains may belong to missing man, Georgia police say. Now, brother is charged."