Two Georgia firefighters who went missing late last month were found dead hundreds of miles away in Tennessee, authorities said.
Raegan Anderson and Chandler Kuhbander were found in Cocke County Tennessee along with Anderson’s vehicle the Hinesville, Georgia, Police department said in a statement on Sunday.
No additional details were released, police said, directing questions to the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, police said.
A representative from the sheriff’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation.
“TBI agents are working alongside the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the circumstances leading to the deaths of two people after their bodies were discovered inside a vehicle along Hollow Road in Cosby on the morning of Sunday,” the state agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
The bodies were sent for autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death and to be positively identified. The investigation is ongoing, the TBI said.
Liberty County Fire Chief Brian Darby on Sunday It ishelp the Midway, Georgia department was deeply saddened by the news for two of its firefighters.
“These two extremely dedicated employees put their hearts and souls into protecting and serving the citizens of Liberty County,” Darby said in a statement. “Our prayers, and those of the department, are with the families during this most difficult time.”
A representative for Liberty County Fire declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.
Cocke County Tennessee is about 400 miles north of Midway, Georgia.
Last week, Hinesville police posted information on Facebook about the two missing firefighters. The post also included a photo of Anderson’s vehicle, a black 2017 Ford Focus.
Anderson was last seen on June 25 at Liberty County Fire Station No. 1. Authorities think Anderson may have been accompanied by Kuhbander, who was also reported missing from Liberty County, NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville, Tennesseereported.
Kuhbander’s vehicle was found in Savannah, Georgia, and Anderson’s vehicle was located in Richmond Hill, Georgia, before being found in Tennessee, the news agency reported.
This article was originally published in NBCNews. with
