A man who was reported missing at Tallulah Gorge in late October and found in “good health” a week later has now been charged with aggravated assault and murder in Wilkes County.
Shannon Box, 56, of Tignall, was booked into the Wilkes County Detention Center Friday afternoon, according to Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office. He is charged with felony aggravated assault, three counts of murder, and three counts of possession of a weapon during a crime.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is investigating the triple homicide and aggravated assault that occurred in the town of Tignall on Thursday morning.
According to a GBI report, Box was taken into custody Friday morning, Dec. 6, in connection with the assault and the deaths.
Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s assistance in the case Thursday morning, December 5, after responding to the 900 block of Mallorysville Road in Tignall regarding an injured woman.
Deputies learned the woman had been injured at another home on Mallorysville Road. When deputies responded to the second home, they found three victims dead inside. The injured woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Preliminary information revealed that Box allegedly attacked the woman causing several injuries. The deaths of the three victims located inside the home are being treated as a homicide.
On Thursday, the GBI had requested the public’s assistance in locating Box. Investigators stated that he was wanted for one count of aggravated assault and wanted for questioning in the three deaths.
Now Habersham has contacted the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office for further information in the case. The article will be updated once that information is made available.
The town of Tignall is located approximately 45 miles east of Athens and 20 miles south of Elberton.
Missing man
Box was recently reported missing at Tallulah Gorge State Park in Tallulah Falls. Park rangers reported to the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office finding an unattended vehicle in the parking lot at the interpretive center on October 29. After a search of the area, no one was located.
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Witnesses claimed that the day prior, a man fitting Box’s description had been near the truck. Witnesses noted that he was making peculiar statements. He asked passersby about their beliefs in God and mentioning that “the end was near.”
A week later, Rabun County Sheriff’s Office reported that Box had been located and was in “good health.”
