An investigation is underway after police recovered the body of a missing person from the Ellijay River.
Allen Lanning, 54, was reported missing by a relative on Feb. 1, who stated he was most likely last seen on Jan. 27. The report was unable to provide his permanent address, according to the Ellijay Police Department.
Early in the investigation, officials searched multiple wooded areas by foot. On Feb. 11, new information led them to search around the Ellijay River bank near Beaver Street.
That’s where police said Lanning was found. The Ellijay Fire Department Station 15 and Gilmer County Fire Rescue assisted in recovering the body.
Lanning was previously arrested in October for loitering and violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (VCGSA). Stacie Underhill, 37, was also arrested, according to police. They were both released on bond with pending charges.
A traffic stop on Feb. 2 resulted in the arrest of Underhill, when police reported she was driving Lanning’s pickup truck on Industrial Blvd. She is currently being held at the Gilmer County Detention Center for outstanding warrants and violating the VCGSA.
The cause of Lanning’s death is not yet available as the investigation continues. The body has been transferred to GBI Headquarters, where an autopsy will take place.