A tentative identification has been made of the skeletal remains located Sunday in a wilderness area off Gordon Springs Road in Whitfield County near the Walker County line, according to a release from Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood.
Investigators believe the remains may be those of Gary Wayne Fingerle, 59, of the Floyd County, Ga., area.
Family members reported Fingerle missing to the Rome Police Department in November 2016.
He was an avid hiker and his pick-up truck was found abandoned on Forestry Service Road 219 in Walker County in November.
The truck would have been approximately 3 1/2 miles from where the remains were found.
Investigators have obtained some dental records of Fingerle and they will be sent to the GBI Crime Lab to help in the identification.
Investigators do not suspect foul play was involved at this time, the release states.