Body pulled from Creek identified

The body of a male pulled from Cedar Creek in early January was identified last week by local officials.

Cedartown Police and GBI Crime Lab officials positively identified the man found on Jan. 2 as 36-year-old Jerry Lee Talley of a Hiram address. The identification comes after thorough testing by forensic experts.

Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome stated that both the Cedartown Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that foul play was not involved in the death of Mr. Talley.

Talley’s body was discovered on Jan. 2 by pedestrians crossing over the West Avenue Bridge. The pedestrians alerted local law enforcement and a short time later, a boat was dispatched to the scene to assist in recovery efforts.

The GBI and the Cedartown Police Department, through joint police work and discussions, have determined that the investigation has concluded.

No additional details about how Talley ended up in Cedar Creek were available at press time.

Memorials services for the Cedartown native were held over the weekend on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 12 at New Bethel Baptist Church in Cedartown, according to a Facebook post from his family.

An additional Facebook post for a Go Fund Me page reported that Talley had recently married and left behind several children.

More than $1,200 was raised for Talley’s wife Niya and their infant daughter Grace, along with his children Shay, Zari, Niy’Asia, and Rockey.

Those who want to contribute to fundraising efforts for the Talley family can visit a link included with this story online.