COVINGTON, Ga. — A body found in a Newton County Boy Scout camp last month has been identified as a Covington man whose daughter’s recent arrest is linked to her alleged efforts to gain financially from his death.

Human remains found Aug. 13 in a wooded area in Bert Adams Boy Scout Camp have been identified as Perry Davis, 72, of Kirk Street in Covington.

Police arrested his daughter, Tamela Renee Carter, 48, of Covington, on Monday, Sept. 14, on charges related to concealing her father’s death to gain financially after he died at home and she allegedly left his body at the camp.

“There is no evidence to suggest that this is a homicide,” said Covington Police Capt. Ken Malcom. 

The Newton County Sheriff’s Office first investigated the case Aug. 13 after being called to a report of human remains being found, the sheriff's office said in a news release. 

The Covington Police Department became involved in the investigation Aug. 26 after Davis’ family members in Ohio asked the department to conduct a welfare check on him, according to a Covington Police news release.

The family members said they were concerned “due to a family member and caregiver giving them inconsistent information about Mr. Davis’ condition,” the release stated. 

Davis' family and Carter, who was also his caregiver, had been in a lengthy dispute about finances and the victim’s care, it said. 

Family members stated that they had been contacted by Carter and told that Davis died in April of natural causes and had been cremated. Carter was to bring the remains to Ohio for a family memorial but failed to appear, they told police. 

The suspect later told family members Davis was “OK” and led them to believe he was living in a care facility. 

Meanwhile, Coroner Tommy Davis told investigators there was no record of a death certificate for the victim, the release said. 

Covington Police detectives and officers then executed a search warrant Aug. 26 at Carter’s residence and found no evidence of Perry Davis’ whereabouts. 

Carter told investigators she was Davis’ caregiver, he was “OK,” and also led them to believe he was in a care facility. However, she said she would not reveal his location because she did not want other family members in Ohio to know this information, the release said.  

City police detectives then began working with sheriff’s office detectives and the coroner to determine if the remains belonged to Perry Davis, Malcom said.

They also contacted some state agencies and found there was no record of Davis being a patient at a care facility anywhere in Georgia, he said.

On Monday, Sept. 14, city police detectives interviewed Carter again. She told them Davis had died in his bed in mid-April at the Kirk Street home they shared, Malcom said.

Carter told investigators she had taken her father to a wooded area off Scout Road in south Newton County, placed his body there and continued to access Davis’ Social Security funds for four months following his death, Malcom said.

“We have been in constant contact with Mr. Davis’ family in Ohio and have given them this and other detailed information about this case,” Malcom said. “We hope that this can offer the Davis family some closure."

Carter was being held in the Newton County Jail without bond on charges of one count of Concealing the Death of Another, four counts of Forgery Third Degree, and one count of Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers, according to sheriff’s office jail records.