Arrest made after Human Remains found in Lumpkin County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announces that 55-year-old Charles Edward Cates Jr. of Dahlonega has been arrested and charged with the murder after human remains were found in Lumpkin County.  The Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI, along with the Department of Natural Resources, located human remains near the Mill Creek community in Lumpkin County.  The remains are believed to be related to an ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 52-year-old Tony Lamar Cates of Dahlonega.  The remains have not been identified and will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.  Tony Cates was reported missing in May of 2021.  The investigation is still active and ongoing.  Charles Cates is being held in the Lumpkin County Detention Center.  When the investigation is complete, it will be given to the Lumpkin County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.