After a month of searching, the family of an Atlanta-area teacher, Gary Jones, has finally received answers regarding his disappearance on Lake Oconee.
Jones went missing on February 8, along with his fiancée, Joycelyn Wilson, when authorities discovered an empty boat circling on the lake. Based on interviews, game wardens suspected that a man and a woman had been aboard the vessel before it was found, prompting a search.
Using sonar technology, authorities located Wilson’s body the following day, February 9. Wilson, 49, was a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Spelman College, where she was known for her profound impact on both students and colleagues. The college released a statement recognizing her contributions to the institution.
Nearly a month later, on Sunday around 1 p.m., a group of volunteers using sonar detection located Jones’ body at the bottom of the lake. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reported that his remains were found less than 100 yards from where Wilson’s body had been recovered in February.
Jones’ family described him as a “life-changer” and expressed that the search had been the “worst 29 days of our lives.” Jones was a longtime educator at Westminster, a private Christian school in Atlanta. Having joined the staff in 2002, he served as a middle school science teacher, eighth-grade basketball coach, and Head of Program for Track and Field. Westminster’s president, Keith Evans, reflected on Jones’ impact, stating that he left a lasting legacy within the school community. Evans noted that students, parents, and faculty members had shared stories of how Jones inspired those around him and that his influence would extend beyond the school’s campus.
Atlanta-based singer and rapper CeeLo Green mourned Wilson’s passing on social media in late February. He referred to her as practically his sister and expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stating that “no one deserves to perish in that fashion.”
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills had previously reported that search teams focused on a two-to-three-acre section of the lake. The challenging search conditions were attributed to submerged tree limbs, a nearby dam, and the lake’s constant water flow. Investigators found several clues, including Jones’ shoes washed ashore and his wallet still in the boat.
Sheriff Sills remarked that he could not recall such an extensive search effort involving both government and civilian resources on Lakes Oconee and Sinclair in the past 40 years.
