GBI: Man found hanging at High Shoals Falls died by suicide

The investigation into the death of a man found hanging from a tree at High Shoals Falls in February shows he died by suicide. The GBI says the state medical examiner’s preliminary findings support that conclusion.

On Feb. 21, a hiker discovered the body of 29-year-old Trevonte Jamal Shubert-Helton in the Swallow Creek Wildlife Management Area in Towns County. The hiker contacted 911 to alert authorities.

The GBI said its preliminary investigation indicates Shubert-Helton was the only person in the area at the time of his death.

High Shoals Falls is located approximately 12 miles north of Helen, Georgia. The trail leading up to the falls is a popular hiking destination in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Shubert-Helton was a father and outdoor enthusiast from Sautee-Nacoochee who frequented the falls. “He loved waterfalls, sunrises, and sunsets in nature,” his family said in his obituary.