The remains found on City Pond Road near Bob Williams Parkway on Dec. 28 have been identified as those of David Sheffield.

The Covington Police Department was notified by the GBI of the identification Saturday at 2:17 p.m. after dental records were matched.

Sheffield lived in Aiken, South Carolina, were he was wanted by the FBI for suspected child pornography and molestation.
“The Covington Police Department is very appreciative of the assistance provided by the GBI and FBI in this matter,” Covington Police Capt. Ken Malcom said. “It is our hope that this discovery will provide a degree of closure for the families involved in this case.”

Sheffield’s car was found abandoned at the nearby America’s Best Inn in 2011 by CPD officer Anthony Walden, who told investigators that he responded to a call in 2011 concerning the abandoned vehicle.

At the time Walden and other officers searched the area, but Sheffield was never located. According to the investigation, Walden also spoke with the hotel clerk and discovered the vehicle had been parked on the property for several months.

Monday, a bleached-out skull was discovered by a surveyor working in the area. Covington police and firefighters, as well as the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) were called in, and a search was organized.

Searchers recovered a number of bones, a jaw, and leg and arm bones on Monday afternoon, Treadwell said. They also found a partially buried vest and boots.

Later, after excavating beneath the boot, searchers recovered a pair of glasses and a firearm.

Last week’s rain complicated the search, and Treadwell said pop-up tents had to be put up to protect evidence.