Body Found In Yellow River IDed as Missing Teen

Authorities have identified a body found Saturday in the Yellow River as that of 14-year-old Jaheem McGhee.

The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office announced the positive identification Monday afernoon. The case has been ruled a drowning and next of kin has been notified, police said in a news release.

On November 19, McGhee went missing on the Yellow River.

Family members said he and some friends were skipping school at Parkview High School when they tried to cross the river to get away from a truancy officer. The friends did not report McGhee, who was last seen floating downstream, missing until the following day.

Authorities spent days searching the river for him, but to no avail. The search, which included helicopters and K-9 units, was ultimately suspended on November 23.

At about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, a kayaker called police to an area of the river between Bending River Trail and Stone Mountain Highway, saying he’d discovered a body floating about 40-50 feet from the riverbank.

Gwinnett Police, along with the Gwinnett County Swift Water Rescue Teams, started a recovery mission there and, by 7 p.m., the body had been recovered.

Over the weekend, all police could confirm was that the body was that of a male, saying race and age would need to be confirmed by the Medical Examiner.