Body of man missing for 4 years found in DeKalb County

Body of man missing since 2021 found in DeKalb County

Lucky Hawkins was last seen in August 2021 near Clairmont Road and I-85. DeKalb County police said his body was found less than two miles from where he disappeared. His daughter, April Davis, said the news confirmed the fear she’d carried since he went missing.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A man who vanished more than four years ago under suspicious circumstances has been found dead, according to authorities and his family.

The backstory:

Lucky Hawkins was last seen in August 2021 near Clairmont Road and I-85. His skeletal remains were discovered earlier this month in a wooded area near a creek off I-85’s frontage road, less than two miles from where he disappeared.

What we know:

Investigators found Hawkins’ remains about a mile and a half from where his red Ford truck — with all his belongings inside — was discovered abandoned in a parking lot on Clairmont Road near I-85. According to the GBI’s missing person website, a Waffle House employee in the same area reported seeing Hawkins get into a black Chevy Suburban with two men on a weekend night in August 2021.

The DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office says the circumstances surrounding Hawkins’ disappearance were suspicious, and DeKalb County police homicide detectives are investigating.

What they're saying:

For four years, Hawkins’ family pushed for answers. His daughter, April Davis, said the news confirmed the fear she’d carried since he went missing.

"My dad was my best friend, he was my everything," Davis said. "Always in the back of my mind, I did have the gut-wrenching knowledge that, something happened to him."

His ex-wife, Joy Dockery, said the discovery so close to where he disappeared is devastating.

"It's unimaginable that somebody goes missing and they're found four years later, just five minutes down the road," she said.

His family says Hawkins would never have abandoned them and believes something bad happened to him.

"Just because his body has been found, we’re not over here, justice has to be served," Dockery said.

What's next:

The cause of death remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact DeKalb County Police.