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December 23, 2024
December 2, 2024

GBI asking public for help after body of Navy sailor, Jeep found in Ocmulgee River

The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on November 19, 2024:

Update: On November 19, 2024, at about 9:45 a.m., the Georgia State Patrol dive team located the Jeep Compass rented by Devin Jeter before his disappearance. The Jeep was recovered from the Ocmulgee River, near where Jeter’s body was discovered.

Investigators found no visible damage on the Jeep. According to reports, the GBI has conducted an autopsy that found no apparent injuries on the victim either. The family says they have not yet received the results of additional forensic tests. The public’s help is still needed to gather any information that could assist in this case.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI regional investigative office in Eastman at 478-374-6988, or share tips anonymously via the GBI’s tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at GBI’s tip submission page, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.

TELFAIR COUNTY, Ga. – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is seeking information from the public that will aid in the investigation into the death of 25-year-old Devin Jeter, of Scottsdale, GA. Jeter’s body was found in the Ocmulgee River near Lumber City, GA.

On November 11, 2024, at about 12:55 p.m., a local fisherman discovered a body at a boat landing along the Ocmulgee River. Responding to the discovery, Telfair County Sheriff Sim Davidson requested GBI assistance in the investigation. The deceased was soon identified as Jeter, who had been reported missing by his family to the Atlanta Police Department three days earlier on November 8.

Jeter was last known to be at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport on the night of November 7, where he rented a 2024 silver Jeep Compass with Florida license plate EWAG47. He was reportedly headed to Jacksonville, FL, where he was stationed in the U.S. Navy. When Jeter didn’t show up for work the next day, his co-workers alerted his family, prompting them to report him missing.

An autopsy conducted at the GBI Coastal Crime Lab found no apparent injuries; however, investigators are awaiting further forensic tests to provide further insights. Meanwhile, the rented Jeep Compass has not yet been located.

The GBI is urging anyone who may have seen Jeter or the silver Jeep Compass between Atlanta and Lumber City to come forward. Any information, no matter how small, could be vital in solving this case.

Contact the GBI regional investigative office in Eastman at 478-374-6988, or share tips anonymously via the GBI’s tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at GBI’s tip submission page, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.