Authorities are investigating the death of a Norcross man whose body was found inside a van at Bell Mountain in Towns County.
On Saturday night, July 19, at approximately 9:15 p.m., deputies with the Towns County Sheriff’s Office discovered a van parked in the Bell Mountain overlook area. The vehicle was registered to 38-year-old Phat Tan Bui, who had been reported missing in Gwinnett County the day before by his family.
When deputies searched the van, they found Bui deceased inside. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was immediately called in to assist.
Preliminary findings suggest no foul play was involved. Bui’s body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.
Bui is the third person to be found dead on Bell Mountain this year. In March, hikers found the bodies of twin brothers Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis. After months of investigation, authorities ruled their deaths a double suicide.
The investigation into Bui’s death remains active and ongoing. Investigators ask anyone with information to contact the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at 706-896-4444 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Perry at 478-987-4545. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
