Law enforcement teams searched a densely wooded area beside the Apalachee River in Walton County Wednesday for the remains of a Gwinnett County teenager who vanished nearly eight years ago.
Justin Gaines’ disappearance from a Duluth nightclub in 2007 remains a mystery, but a mystery Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway believes they’re about to solve.
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He said after years of silence, a “person of interest” who was involved in Gaines’ disappearance is finally talking about the crime and pointing to a long abandoned well deep in the woods off Highway 186.
“We’ve keyed in on one that our person of interest says is the well that he was put in,” said Conway. “It’s a very deep well. We’ve gotten most of the water out, but it’s got a lot of residue in the bottom of it, and we’re bringing up a track hoe to completely dig the well down to the base.”
Conway wouldn’t say he’s confident that after nearly eight years of false leads that this is the one, but he’s hopeful.
“I’ve been confident so many times that it’s hard to keep confident, but we’re hoping,” Conway said. “I think we’re close to solving this case. I think some people are going to go to jail pretty soon.”
Conway would not say what part his person of interest played in the disappearance, but did say the person was involved and that a number of others are involved, too.
Walton County Sheriff Joe Chapman is leading up his office’s search efforts. The property used to be home to a grist mill and a mill town, so there are a number of old wells, buildings and sluices in the area.
He said the search is extending beyond just the wells. In fact, DNR Rangers have a boat equipped with an underwater camera and sonar in a muddy mill pond on the property.
“It’s multiple wells,” said Chapman. “Not only are we looking in the wells, there’s water ways around us, creeks, small rivers that kind of thing. We’re also looking into that.”
Conway hopes they find Gaines’ remains so he can get closure for himself and Gaines’ family.
“A case like this haunts you,” Conway said. “We’re trying to get closure for the family, and hopefully we’re close, and that’ll get done.”
Officers wrapped up their search around 5 p.m. Wednesday, but will begin again on Thursday morning.
