Authorities in North Georgia have made an arrest with possible ties to last year’s disappearance of a Lumpkin County man. Charles Edward Cates Jr., 55, of Dahlonega is charged with murder following the discovery of human remains.
The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office and GBI, along with the Department of Natural Resources, located the unidentified remains near the Mill Creek community in Lumpkin County. The remains are believed to be related to an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Cates’ brother, Tony Lamar Cates, 52, also of Dahlonega.
Tony Cates was last heard from on the morning of May 10, 2021, when he spoke with a co-worker over the phone. The same day, his truck was found parked outside Mill Creek Baptist Church, the sheriff’s office reported.
“The remains have not been identified and will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy,” says GBI spokesperson Nelly Miles.
Officials arrested Charles Cates on August 24. He’s being held in the Lumpkin County Detention Center without bond. The investigation is still active and ongoing.
When the investigation is complete, Miles says it will be given to the Lumpkin County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
