Additional Coverage:
- Hiker finds burned body near top of popular Georgia tourist attraction (the-independent.com)
Stone Mountain Park Hiker Discovers Burned Body
A hiker made a grisly discovery Saturday morning, stumbling upon a severely burned body near the summit of Stone Mountain Park. The Stone Mountain Park Police Department responded to the hiker’s 911 call around 8:18 a.m. The caller’s identity wasn’t recorded, requiring officers to search the wooded area near the mountain’s top.
The body was found concealed beneath a rock overhang, hidden from view by a pile of rocks. “It’s not an area where hikers usually go,” explained John Bankhead of the Stone Mountain Park PD.
“It’s out of the way. People don’t know it’s there.”
The secluded location is just a few hundred feet from the Skyride cable car.
While the Skyride was temporarily closed, it has since reopened, and the park’s trails remain accessible to the public. Officials have assured visitors that there is no ongoing safety concern.
The deceased man’s identity and the date of his death remain unknown. The body has been transported to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Investigators are urging the 911 caller, or anyone with information, to contact them. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
Bankhead described the scene as “one of the weirdest” he’s encountered in his career. “I’ve seen nothing like it,” he stated, adding that he couldn’t recall a similar incident ever occurring at the park.
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- Hiker finds burned body near top of popular Georgia tourist attraction (the-independent.com)