Search continues for Westminster teacher, coach on 11th day
Man, only sneakers found on the water in the area
More questions are being raised about the disappearance of an Atlanta-area couple from a small boat as new details emerge in the investigation into a death on an eastern Georgia lake.
The Lake Oconee search for Gary Jones, a coach and teacher at Westminster, a prestigious Atlanta private school, entered its 11th day Tuesday, as the search for his fiancée continued.
According to investigators, the couple had planned a boat trip to celebrate Gary Jones’ 50th birthday, and the icing-covered cookies were still found inside his small fishing boat.
Jones and his wife , Joyceline Nicole Wilson, were seen on the boat on the 8th. But about two hours later, when the boat was circling a few miles north of Wallace Dam, no one was on board.
The next morning, Wilson’s body was pulled from the water. On Monday, Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said Georgia Department of Natural Resources officials told him Wilson still had his cell phone in his right hand. Sills said Wilson’s autopsy results raised more questions.
“The totality of the circumstances requires us to take additional action to fully investigate this incident,” Sills added Monday afternoon.
Sills previously said Wilson’s death was “no longer a simple drowning. This is a death investigation.” Details of her cause of death have not been released.
Wilson taught math at Spelman College, and Jones, a man, taught science and coached track at Westminster School. The two met as students at Clark Atlanta University about 30 years ago, but Wilson’s friend Natasha Harrison said the two reconnected. After getting engaged over the holidays, the couple planned to marry on March 14.
On the 8th, the weather was unusually warm as Jones and Wilson put their Sun Dolphin Pro 120 into the water at Fish Tale Marina at the ramp along Ga. 44. Once in the water, Jones steered the boat to The Lodge on Lake Oconee, where he picked up Wilson. Wilson drove the truck back to the hotel, Sills previously stated, where the two men waded through the frigid water.
About two hours later, the ship was discovered moving in a circle without Jones or Wilson on board.
According to Sills, investigators reviewed some video footage from the eighth day, but it did not provide any clues as to what happened to the couple. Both were healthy adults and could swim, the sheriff said. However, he said the small boat was not a typical boat seen on the lake.
“The boat they were on was not made for these waters,” said Sills. “It was a dangerous situation from the start.”
The DNR said the boat was registered in Jones’ name, who did not have a fishing license.
When the boat was found, Jones’ brown trifold wallet containing her driver’s license was on the empty vessel, as was her room key card to The Lodge, Sills said. Wilson’s identification, some cash and credit cards were in a fanny pack she was carrying, he said.
According to investigators, after Wilson’s body was discovered, Jones’ gray Nike sneakers were found in the water about 15 yards away, near rocks in the area.
Wilson’s funeral has not been announced publicly. Through a spokesperson, the Jones family thanked those who helped search and asked for privacy.
Meanwhile, fellow teachers who work with Jones at private high schools posted messages on social media wishing for his safe return and remembering his devotion.
<Reporter Eugene Lee>
