The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is asking anyone with information related to the death of a man found in a Dade County pond to come forward as the investigation remains active.
On Thursday, July 3, around 2:40 p.m., a call to Dade County 911 reported a body floating in a pond off the 2000 block of New Home Road in Trenton. Deputies from the Dade County Sheriff’s Office responded and discovered the body near the dam. Emergency personnel from New Home and Dade County Fire and Rescue recovered the remains.
The deceased was identified as 46-year-old John Richard Sweatt. Authorities confirmed his identity through tattoos, a driver’s license in his pocket, and verification by family members.
At the time of his death, Sweatt was wanted by the Dade County Sheriff’s Office on charges of aggravated sexual battery and failure to appear in court.
The body has been sent to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy. No cause of death has been released, and the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the GBI. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the case will be turned over to the Lookout Mountain District Attorney’s Office for review.
