Body found near Dearing; family hopes it’s not missing man

DEARING, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A body was found Sunday outside Dearing, and a missing man’s father is praying it’s not his son.

The body was found around 1 p.m. Sunday in an abandoned house near the state ponds off Fish Hatchery Road just southwest of Dearing.

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McDuffie County Coroner Paul Johnson said no positive identification has been made of the body, which has been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab for an autopsy.

The case remains under investigation by Johnson and the McDuffie County Sheriff’s Office.

Meanwhile, Steven Williams Sr. wrote on Facebook that he’s praying the body is not his son, Steven Williams Jr., who’s been missing since June 5 and was last seen in the area of the ponds.

The Williams family is offering a $500 reward for information about the missing man. The family can be reached at 706-664-5886 if anyone has information.