Body of African American Man Discovered Hanging in Rural North Georgia

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) confirmed on Thursday that they are conducting an investigation following the discovery of the body of a Black man hanging from a tree near a popular trail in Towns County. The deceased, identified as Trevonte Jamal Shubert-Helton, a 29-year-old resident of Sautee Nacoochee, was found near High Shoals Falls at the Swallow Creek Wildlife Management Area by a hiker. According to a GBI press release, initial findings suggest it was an isolated incident and that Shubert-Helton was alone at the Wildlife Management Area. An autopsy will be conducted at the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office as the investigation continues.

The news of this tragic event sparked an outpouring of reactions on social media. @scorpioniceyes tweeted, “Black people are still being lynched to this day and y’all want us to forget our history.” Another user, @C0SM0C0W, expressed, “This was absolutely a hate crime. North Georgia is incredibly racist, especially in the Sautee Nacoochee area.”

Earlier in January, the city of Statesboro in Georgia held a ceremony to commemorate nine men who were lynched in Bulloch County, located a few hours south of Shubert-Helton’s hometown. Chris Caplinger, Co-Chair of the Statesboro-Bulloch Remembrance Coalition and a history professor at Georgia Southern University, emphasized, “We live in a world shaped by the violence and terror of the late 19th and early 20th century. Memorializing the victims of racial violence is a first step toward building a more inclusive community.”

Co-Chair Adrianne McCollar also echoed Caplinger’s sentiment, stating, “We are uniting our community around racial justice. I am proud of the progress we have made together to heal old wounds. While revisiting such tragic moments in our history is challenging, it is essential work. The unanimous support from the City of Statesboro Council for the installation of the marker signifies our collective efforts to advance as a city.”