Two Georgia firefighters who went missing late last month were discovered 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 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 with 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 death of two people after their bodies were discovered inside a vehicle along Hollow Road in Cosby on Sunday morning,” the state agency said in a statement Tuesday.
The bodies have been sent for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death and to be positively identified. The investigation is ongoing, TBI said.
Liberty County Fire Chief Brian Darby on Sunday said the department in Midway, Georgia, was deeply saddened about the news of two of their 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 with 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 June 25 at the Liberty County Fire Services Station #1. Authorities think Anderson may have been accompanied by Kuhbander, who had also been reported missing in Liberty County, NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville, Tennessee, reported.
Kuhbander’s vehicle was found in Savannah, Georgia, and Anderson’s vehicle was spotted in Richmond Hill, Georgia, before it was found in Tennessee, the news outlet reported.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
