GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County middle school teacher who vanished after accusations surfaced he was having an inappropriate relationship with a student at the school where he taught, has been found dead.
Zachary Meadors, 28, hadn't been seen since between 2 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13. Meadors' father reported him missing two days later on the 15, according to a Gwinnett County Police report.
Two days after that, police said Meadors had been found dead inside his car.
According to Gwinnett Police, someone called 911 around 5:20 p.m. Oct. 17 to report a man slumped over inside a car off Scenic Highway in Lawrenceville. Officers and firefighters responded and confirmed the man was Meadors. The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner ruled the death to be caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the missing persons' police report, Meadors' father told authorities, the 28-year-old left three letters and an iPad on the front stoop of his family's home on Rae Place in Lawrenceville. Footage from surveillance cameras captured Zachary placing the letters and the iPad on the door step.
According to Meadors' father, one of the letters was addressed to someone specifically, apologizing to someone for all the "chaos" he caused. A second letter made out to his family apologized for "the image they may have of him now," and a third letter outlined his finances and how he wanted them split.
During the conversation with police, Meadors' father reportedly told them his son, a teacher at Freedom Middle School in DeKalb County, was under investigation for having an inappropriate relationship with with a student and that officials had taken his phone. He was supposed to show up to the District headquarters Oct. 15 on active warrants from DeKalb County, but never did, the report said. Police took the letters as evidence.
11Alive reached out to DeKalb County Schools for a statement. They said they were "angered and disappointed to learn of the allegations" against Meadors.
"The safety of our students is a top priority, and we are determined to protect them, under any circumstances, from harm," the statement continued. "The community should know that the district will take whatever steps necessary to meet that standard. DCSD Public Safety officers are investigating the allegations in this case. Meanwhile, parents and staff can take comfort in knowing the employee has been removed from campus and directed not to have contact with our students. We are determined to find the truth and to correct any misconduct that is found to have occurred.”
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