Body of missing teacher found in Lake Oconee, Putnam County sheriff says

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The body of missing teacher Gary Jones was found in Lake Oconee Sunday, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Jones went missing along with his fiancé, Spelman College professor Joycelyn Wilson, in Lake Oconee on Feb. 8. An empty boat was found circling Lake Oconee. Based on interviews, game wardens believed there was a man and woman on the boat and began a search.

Using sonar equipment, wardens found the body of Joycelyn Wilson on Feb. 9. Wilson was a Spelman College instructor in the Department of Mathematics, “where she made an indelible impact on both her students and colleagues,” the college said in a statement.

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Jones' body was found around 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Jones was a faculty member at Westminster, a private Christian school in Atlanta. According to Westminster President Keith Evans, Jones joined the Westminster staff in 2002 and was a middle school science teacher, eighth grade basketball coach and Head of Program for Track and Field.

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“I have had the privilege of connecting with alumni, parents, students and faculty members who have shared stories of Gary’s legacy and the many ways he inspired both his students and colleagues. He has profoundly impacted the Wildcat community, and his passing will be felt well beyond the boundaries of our campus,” Evans said.

Jones' family called him a “life-changer” and said that the search was “the worst 29 days of our lives.”

“We depended heavily on our faith. Our Heavenly Father brought us through,” said Michael, Gary’s brother.

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He said they are grateful to everyone who joined the search as well as all the support they received from the community.

“We’ve had overwhelming support of folks who love Gary. Gary was a game and life changer. He helped a lot of people, and that’s why so many folks have come in to support,” he said.

Atlanta-based singer and rapper CeeLo Green took to social media to mourn Wilson. On Instagram, Green said Wilson was practically his sister and that “no one deserves to perish in that fashion.”

Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills told Atlanta News First in late February that search crews had zeroed in on a 2-to-3-acre area on the lake.

The water in which Jones and Wilson’s boat was found is pierced from below by old tree limbs. Those trees, the nearby dam, and the constant water flow made the search more complicated than usual.

But the clues were there. Jones’ shoes were found washed ashore. His wallet was still in the boat.

“I cannot remember such an extensive use of government and civilian personnel and resources for an incident such as this on Lakes Oconee and Sinclair in the last 40 years,” he said.

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