GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A body found in the Yellow River over the weekend has been identified as a missing 14-year-old from Gwinnett County.
Authorities said Jaheem McGhee's body was recovered from the Yellow River between Bending River Trail and Stone Mountain Highway around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. A man said he was kayaking down the river when he discovered McGhee's body.
"We were really hoping and praying that he was somewhere else," said the teen's grandfather, Daniel Knight. Knight told FOX Five's Nathalie Pozo via Skype from his home in Michigan that he still has a lot of questions about his grandson's death, even though the medical examiner ruled it a drowning.
Gwinnett County police said the ninth grader skipped school with three friends on November 19th. Those friends told investigators they saw the 14-year-old being swept down the river, but did not report that to police until the next day.
"They did not report this for 29 hours," said Knight. "Naturally you see your friend dying or drowning or something, you are going to try and get help as soon as you can and this did not happen with Jaheem the way we understand," said Knight.
Gwinnett County Police said they do not have any reason to believe there was any foul play involved and do not have anything further to investigate. Knight said he hopes detectives keep the case open.
"I appreciate the work the police have done, I would just like for them to do more," said Knight. "I would like for them to continue questioning those other children because something is missing in this equation, I do not know what it is," said Knight.
Before recovering the body Saturday, divers searched the area for two days, but did not locate anything.