Remains in East Point Identified as Missing Man

Derek Samuel’s family said on May 31 that remains found in a wooded area in East Point were those of the 20-year-old man whose disappearance had drawn weeks of searches, public appeals and a reward offer. East Point police said officers, detectives and Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue found human remains behind the Reserve at Redwine apartments on Sunday. Police did not publicly confirm the identity at that time and said the investigation was continuing. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to local media that a body had been found in East Point earlier that day, while Samuel’s relatives told reporters they were grieving his loss. ### Where were the remains found? East Point police said the remains were discovered in a wooded area behind 3755 Redwine Road, behind the Reserve at Redwine apartments. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that Georgia Emergency Search and Rescue crews located Samuel’s body there, and the search group said K-9 Jager and handler Jim Lopez were first to make the discovery. (wsbtv.com) CBS News Atlanta reported that volunteers and investigators found the remains in woods behind the apartment complex in a spot that had not previously been checked. The search organization told CBS it had been contacted by Samuel’s family after earlier searches produced no result. ### When did Derek Samuel go missing? (wsbtv.com) Derek Samuel was last seen on April 29 at the Target at Camp Creek Marketplace on Marketplace Boulevard in East Point, according to East Point police and his family. 11Alive reported that Samuel, who was 20, left the store and walked toward Commerce Drive before disappearing. (cbsnews.com) FOX 5 Atlanta reported earlier in May that Samuel had been at the store with two friends when he vanished. His family said his silence quickly alarmed them because he spoke with his twin sister every day. His mother, Nishae Samuel, told 11Alive that the lack of contact was highly unusual. ### What had investigators searched before the discovery? (11alive.com) Police and relatives had spent weeks searching areas around Camp Creek Marketplace and Redwine Road. 11Alive reported that East Point police used drones and K-9 teams in the search after Samuel’s phone last pinged near Redwine Road, and FOX 5 said investigators had traced his cellphone to that area. (fox5atlanta.com) CBS News Atlanta reported that surveillance footage showed Samuel leaving the Target and walking toward Commerce Drive. FOX 5 said the video reviewed by investigators did not appear to show him in distress before he parted from the friends he had been with. ### What did the family say after the remains were found? (11alive.com) Samuel’s family sent a statement to WSB-TV after the discovery. “Although this is not the outcome we all prayed for, unfortunately it has now become our reality,” the family said, adding that it was asking for privacy as relatives grieved. (cbsnews.com) Before the discovery, the family had repeatedly appealed for help and increased a reward for information. FOX 5’s East Point coverage page said the reward had been raised from $5,000 to $15,000 during the search. ### What have police confirmed, and what remains unresolved? East Point police said on May 31 that the investigation remained ongoing and that investigators were working to confirm the identity of the deceased and the manner of death. (wsbtv.com) CBS News Atlanta reported that Police Chief Buchanan asked for patience while investigators determine the circumstances surrounding the discovery. (fox5atlanta.com) FOX 5 reported that authorities had not named suspects or persons of interest and had not said whether Samuel left the area voluntarily or whether someone took him. Those questions remained unanswered as of June 1 in local reports. ### What happens next in the case? The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to complete formal identification and determine the cause and manner of death. (wsbtv.com) East Point police have asked anyone with information to contact the department’s Criminal Investigations Division as the case continues. (fox5atlanta.com)