Troup cold case: FBI identifies 1990 remains found at West Point Lake

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - Federal investigators have identified the remains of a homicide victim found on the shore of West Point Lake more than 35 years ago.

What we know:

Authorities discovered human remains on the shore of West Point Lake in Troup County on March 11, 1990. Officials said the body was in an advanced state of decomposition when it was found, but investigators still deemed the death a homicide.

Investigators recovered several personal belongings and noted faded tattoos on the body. Despite their best efforts at the time, the remains went unidentified for decades.

In 2025, Investigator Clay Bryant took over the case. A DNA sample was taken from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab and sent to the FBI, which successfully made an identification.

The body belonged to Craig Alexander Maddox, who lived in Arkansas at the time of his death. Authorities gained additional information through family members, and the sheriff's office said the case remains an active homicide investigation.

What we don't know:

No further information has been released regarding potential suspects or how Maddox died.