GBI: Cause of death undetermined for Roy Brown
The GBI on Friday released the findings of the cause of death for Roy Gerald Brown, age 46, of Cartersville, who was initially reported missing in late December 2015. According to the GBI, the cause of death was undetermined.
”The autopsy report on Mr. Brown states that the manner of death is undetermined and the cause of death is also undetermined,” said Lt. Tony Pyle with the Calhoun Police Department.
“Our initial findings at the crime scene led us to believe that this was an accidental death,” said Pyle. “The results of the GBI Crime Lab report yielded no evidence to make us believe otherwise.”
Brown’s disappearance, and subsequent death investigation, which was handled by the CPD, took many turns during the first couple of months of 2016. During that time, both the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Oglethorpe Police Department had warrants out for the arrest of Brown in connection to burglaries in both Gordon County and Fort Oglethorpe.
The CPD reported in early January that Brown was last seen at his home in Cobb County on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015; around 3:30 a.m. Brown had planned to be gone approximately 30 minutes but never returned.
“On January 2, 2016, Brown’s vehicle was found abandoned in the parking lot of the Rite Aid drug store located at 910 South Wall Street in Calhoun. Several personal items, as well as his cell phone and $500 cash were found inside the 2007 Pontiac Vibe belonging to Brown,” said Pyle in early January.
Answers on Brown’s whereabouts during investigation continued to baffle investigators. “During our investigation, we discovered evidence placing Mr. Brown in the woodland area behind Rite Aid; however, after a complete search of the area using the specialized K9s, our efforts did not yield any results pertaining to the whereabouts of Mr. Brown,” said Pyle on January 25.
During the missing person investigation, it was reported that deputy sheriffs were dispatched to a coin shop on South Wall Street in an unincorporated area of Calhoun around 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, the day Brown was last seen. The dispatch was in response to a report of a burglary.
Deputies and Sheriff’s detectives found evidence that someone had forced entry into the coin shop by cutting a hole through the rooftop and took a substantial amount of collectible coins.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday, Jan. 21, based upon evidence of similar transactions in other Northwest Georgia jurisdictions, including Fort Oglethorpe, and the fact that Calhoun Police had discovered his car in the parking lot of a nearby pharmacy, detectives obtained a warrant charging Brown with committing the burglary at the coin shop.
In December 2015, hundreds of coins and antique pieces of jewelry were stolen in early at an Antique Mall in Fort Oglethorpe, and investigators there had identified Brown as a potential suspect in the theft.
Calhoun Police subsequently discovered Brown’s body in early February with a number of antique coins in close proximity. The coins were identified and returned to the rightful owner.
Pyle expects the case to be officially closed in the near future.