The body of former Richmond County Sheriff’s Investigator Kendall Brown was found Tuesday afternoon in a wooded area on Patriot Drive in Hephzibah, authorities said.
The Coroner’s Office was notified and is in the early stages of the investigation, Coroner Mark Bowen said in a press release. Brown was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. The body was found not far from his home. An autopsy is scheduled.
Brown was reported missing to the Sheriff’s Department on Friday. He is former investigator and coordinator with the CSRA Metal Theft Task Force before leaving for a job with the railroad.
Brown was last seen at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 2526 Lumpkin Road in Augusta, on Jan. 28. The sheriff’s office said he possibly left his residence on foot between Jan. 30-Feb. 2 from the 1000 block of Patriot Drive, which is near where he was found. He was listed as possibly endangered.
The search for Brown created a controversy and feud between the sheriffs in Burke and Richmond counties, with Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams criticizing Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree for stopping Burke County officers from helping in the search. Roundtree defended the move in a press release: “While the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office appreciates any agency who would offer their assistance; however, without having all the privileged information associated with this investigation, it could greatly jeopardize the outcome of the investigation.”
Here is Monday’s press release from Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, followed by the press release from Sheriff Roundtree.
The press release from Sheriff Roundtree:
