WAYNESBORO, Ga. (AP) - Investigators searching for a Georgia man missing since 2016 may have found human remains buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond near Augusta.
Officials have been looking for Simon Powell, a logger known to carry large amounts of cash, since his truck was found on fire several miles from his home six years ago. Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has said he believes Powell was robbed and the robbers burned the truck to conceal evidence.
After raising the reward for information in Powell's disappearance to $30,000 in June, deputies in July arrested 38-year-old Stacey Lynn Welch. U.S. marshals later arrested Mitchell Lanell Lambert, 39, in Cumming. Both are charged with murder, kidnapping and armed robbery. Each was denied bail and remained jailed Wednesday in Burke County.
Two other suspects have been identified for questioning.
Officials drained the pond weeks ago, saying Welch told them where to look. Burke County Sheriff's Capt. Jimmy Wylds told local news outlets Tuesday that after digging and raking through the mud at the bottom with assistance from cadaver dogs, officials had found what they believe are human remains.
The remains have been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab near Atlanta for identification.