From STAFF REPORTS
CORDELE — An arrest has been made in connection with the investigation into the suspicious death of a local car salesman whose body was found floating in Lake Blackshear early Sunday morning.
Crisp County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Mickey Dunnavant said he has cited Bernard Staley, 43, of 802 Fifth St. S., with false statement/writings — concealment of facts. He has since been released on bond,
A felony violation, the charge stems from answers Staley gave during Sgt. Dunnavant’s initial investigation of a missing person report involving Tommy Lee “Long Tall” Lewis, a 50-year-old car salesman.
When told that Lewis’ car had been found abandoned and that his relatives were concerned about his disappearance, Staley reportedly told the investigator he had not seen Lewis in two days.
Staley did, however, acknowledge talking to Lewis by telephone about 9-10 p.m. on Friday which was two days before the victim’s body was found floating in Lake Blackshear.
Dunnavant said he later determined that Staley had indeed been with Lewis late Friday night and early Saturday morning. When confronted with that information, Staley admitted to being with Lewis until around 2-2:15 a.m. on Saturday.
Authorities first became involved in the case involving Lewis when a Dawson resident called the local sheriff’s department shortly after 4:30 a.m. Saturday to report seeing a vehicle that had been suspiciously parked on the Flint River Bridge for at least two hours.
Upon his arrival at the scene, Deputy Al Thompson said he found the car’s engine running, the interior lights on, the doors locked and the rear windows partially open. He also observed a cell phone, wallet and cash in a front seat of the vehicle.
Upon running a license plate check on the car, Thompson said he learned it belonged to Lewis’ mother who when contacted by authorities said she hadn’t seen her son whom she said was supposed to be at work later that morning at Tanner-Deen Nissan in Tifton.
It was at that point Thompson alerted fellow sheriff’s department officers Sgt. Dunnavant and Col. Billy Hancock as well as Crisp Fire-Rescue, the Department of Natural Resources and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers then continued their search for Lewis whose body floated to the surface on the Sumter County side of Lake Blackshear about 8 a.m. Sunday.
Investigation of the case has since been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine Lewis’ cause of death.
