LAVONIA, Ga. — The mother of a man who has been missing for nearly two months said the family believes a body found in Lavonia is him.
Douglas Cordell Barnes was last seen leaving his home on July 19. On Labor Day, the Lavonia Police Department said it was working to identify a body found by David Avenue, near Interstate 85 after someone noticed it via their wildlife camera.
"I received a call last night from the Chief of Police and the Coroner reporting that the remains of a body they found had my son's belongs on him," his mother said in an update on the Find Douglas Cordell Barnes Facebook page.
Police said they do not know the cause or manner of death and are working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Franklin County Coroner to identify the body.
"Here's the hard part... it probably is him! I just want to believe even for another day that just maybe it's not!" Barnes' mother said. "We won't fully know 100 percent until he can be properly identified."
Texas EquuSearch, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Public Safety, and Hart County Emergency Management searched extensively for the 36-year-old man last month. Barnes' family had driven from Oklahoma to help, but very little information came of the search.
"To all of y’all who have given money to help me get to Georgia from the bottom of my heart I thank you. To Texas Echosearch from the bottom of my heart. We thank you," Barnes' mother said. "Cordell's family want to express the love that we felt in your community!"
As the family expresses gratitude and prepares for the worst, there's still little known about Barnes' disappearance.
His fold F-150 truck was found abandoned near I-85 in the Lavonia area near Highway 77 and Knox Bridge Crossing on July 21, according to the Hart County Sheriff's Office. At the time, a deputy ran the registration which came up empty - so he just put an orange tag on the window.
It wasn’t until July 31 that a Hart County deputy ran the registration again and discovered, the owner, Barnes, had since been reported missing on July 28 by his family to the White County Sheriff’s Office.
Barnes was last believed to be wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a camo baseball cap.
"We want to thank all the law enforcement for being out there doing their jobs but not only doing their job but caring about our son. To the Chief and Coroner last night I wasn’t (able) to give a special thanks for the way you handled telling me," Barnes' mother said. "I know all the law enforcement will continue to find answers."
