EAST POINT, Ga. — East Point police say they’re investigating after they found a body in some woods earlier Sunday.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers is live off of Redwine Road for WSB Tonight at 11 p.m.
Near the Reserve at Redwine apartments are the woods police say they searched Sunday and two weeks ago.
It’s also where they ultimately found the body.
“I became involved because I wanted to just help,” said
Tangi Brown says she had been part of search parties to help find 20-year-old Derek Samuel.
“I’m not a relative. I’m not a friend. I’m a mother. I just wanted to help in the search for this baby alive, not deceased,” she said.
Samuel’s family says nobody saw him since April 29.
East Point police say surveillance video picked him up leaving the target at the Camp Creek Marketplace and walking towards Redwine Road by himself.
They were able to ping his cell phone to the area around these apartments.
Police say they searched these woods on May 16 and then again on Sunday.
That’s when they say they found human remains.
“When I came home from church, my daughter sent me the video, I’m sorry, she sent me the video that they possibly found his body today,” Brown said.
Police aren’t identifying the body they found yet, but Samuel’s family says he died.
“I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken. His life hadn’t even begun,” Brown said.
Samuel’s family sent a statement earlier that says in part: “Although this is not the outcome we all prayed for, unfortunately it has now become our reality. Thank you to everyone who has prayed on our behalf and we ask that you continue to keep us covered in your prayers as we navigate this difficult time.”
“My heart goes out to the family,” said Brown, who says she will be praying for the family and says this is a reminder for people to check on each other.
“I believe we need to get back to it being a village,” she said.
Police say they are actively investigating and still trying to figure out the identity of the remains as well as the circumstances around the death.
They are asking anyone with information to give them a call.
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