EAST POINT, GA — A weekend discovery has brought an end to the search for a missing 20-year-old man in East Point.
Human remains were found in woods near The Reserve at Redwine subdivision off Redwine Road. While authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the remains, the family of Derek Samuel says the body is that of Samuel, who had been missing for a little more than a month.
The location is near the area where Samuel was last seen leaving the Target at Camp Creek Marketplace on the evening of April 29. Just days before the discovery, the reward for information leading to finding Samuel was increased to $15,000.
Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue, a nonprofit organization that assists law enforcement agencies with missing persons cases, helped in the search effort. Founder Angel Alonso said the organization’s K-9, Jaeger, and handler Jim Lopez located the body after joining the search.
“He had been there for a while, the body has been there for a while,” Alonso said.
Alonso said volunteers reviewed maps and focused on areas near The Reserve at Redwine that had not been searched previously. Once K-9 Jaeger was brought in, the remains were located in about four hours in a ravine near a trail.
“We did find him deceased in the woodline, right where we thought he might be because the area was not searched,” Alonso said.
Alonso said search teams constantly train to improve their work.
“The more you train the more familiarize you get with this, and the more you open up your senses to what you’re looking for,” Alonso said.
He added that searchers must learn the fundamentals before relying on specialized equipment.
“The dogs, the ATV’s, those are all tools, but you have to learn to search first to make those tools work for you,” Alonso said.
Alonso said the outcome was difficult for the volunteers involved in the search.
“They had the feeling that this was going to be the outcome, but at the same time, the grieving’s hard,” Alonso said.
“It hurts,” he added.
He said the organization’s mission is to help families and support law enforcement investigations.
“We don’t give up,” Alonso said.
Alonso also said the discovery may help investigators continue their work.
“They were constantly on this and by us coming in and finding the individual just makes their life a little bit easier I think, so they can continue their case,” Alonso said.
Investigators previously used cellphone records to determine Samuel’s last known location, but earlier searches of the area were unsuccessful.
Police continue to investigate the discovery of the human remains and are asking anyone with information to contact authorities.