Officers located the remains in “an area that visitors usually don’t go to,” Bankhead told local media.
A hiker discovered the severely burned remains of a man in a secluded area of Stone Mountain Park on Saturday morning, authorities said.
At approximately 8:18 a.m. on May 31, the hiker alerted Stone Mountain Park Police after finding the body beneath rocks and an overhang, according to John Bankhead, spokesperson for the park’s Department of Public Safety.
Officers located the remains in “an area that visitors usually don’t go to,” Bankhead told local media.
The victim, believed to be a White male in his 20s or 30s, was “burned severely,” Bankhead said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has taken over the case, and the body was sent to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.
The hiker did not leave contact information, and authorities are urging him to come forward. Bankhead called the incident “very unusual” for the park, noting that while suicides have occurred, this marks the first time a body has been found under such circumstances.
Park operations continue as usual, though Bankhead said adjustments may follow as the investigation unfolds. Visitors expressed shock, with one hiker calling the discovery “crazy” and “somber.”
The GBI deferred further comment to park police, who had not responded to inquiries by Sunday.