NEWTON COUNTY – A body found near Flat Shoals Road has been identified as 20-year-old Dequandre Smith.

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO), alongside the Newton Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Medical Examiner Office confirmed the news on Tuesday.

Smith had been reported missing by his family on March 2. According to a BOLO from the NCSO, Smith’s last known location was in the Flat Shoals Road area.

The NCSO released a statement on Facebook on March 15 stating that a body had been discovered just off the roadway of Flat Shoals Road.

The cause and manner of death are still pending. However, it was reported in the original NCSO statement that foul play “was not suspected.”

Smith’s family was notified by Sheriff Ezell Brown, Coroner Tommy Davis and investigator Joshua Hicks.

This is still an ongoing investigation.