Atlanta mother asks to reopen investigation into her son’s death after it was ruled a drug overdose

GORDON COUNTY, Ga. — A metro Atlanta mother is pleading for investigators to reopen the investigation into her son’s death.

In a Channel 2 Action News exclusive, Channel 2′s Candace McCowan spoke with Caleb Smith’s mother, April Arrington, on WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.

Caleb Smith’s death was ruled a drug overdose when he was found in 2020. But his mother says a report from the Georgia Forestry Commission shows a need to reopen his case.

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Ever since 21-year-old Smith disappeared from the Flying J in Reseca in January 2020, his mother, Arrington, has been searching for answers.

“Once he goes outside there’s no cameras, no surveillance cameras in the parking lot so he was never seen on camera again,” said Arrington.

At the truck stop, Caleb’s car was found, but he was not...until 17 days later. There was a brush fire and a man on an ATV found Caleb’s body in what investigators described as a " a marshy, ‘cutover’, woodland area.”

“His body was found five miles away from the Flying J completely nude, laying on privately owned property. His clothes were not found near his body,” said Arrington. “We were told it was a controlled burn.”

An autopsy and toxicology report found that Caleb died from Methamphetamine Intoxication or a drug overdose. But for his mother, she always felt there was more to the story. And she’s been pressing for answers.

Just last week, she got a report from the Georgia Forestry Commission that said the fire near where Caleb’s body was found, was “determined to be Incendiary.”

The investigator wrote, “It is my determination that the fire was set in hopes of destroying the body or any evidence.”

“It just floored me to see that on paper that indeed it was related to what had happened to him,” said Arrington. “I felt like our family had been lied to.”

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April is on a one-woman mission to get her son’s case reopened.

“I just feel like they failed to investigate,” she said.

She’s started a petition online and says she will push to figure out what happened to Caleb, no matter how long it takes.

“As his mother, it’s my duty to see some justice done in his case. I’ve had to go four years and just feel like I’m being ignored,” said Arrington.

The GBI said this is not their case but to reach out to local officials.

Channel 2 Action News reached out to Gordon County but did not hear back.

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