Justin Glen Gaines Missing November 2, 2007

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Search Intensifies for College Student


www.11alive.com/assetpool/images/071110182916_missingman_250_111007.jpg



Family and friends of a missing college student from Gwinnett County met on Saturday morning to conduct their biggest and most organized search yet.

Family and friends of a missing college student from Gwinnett County met on Saturday morning to conduct their biggest and most organized search yet.

They have been looking for Justin Gaines, 18, a freshman at the Athens campus of Gainesville College, since he disappeared from Wild Bill's nightclub last week.

"Today's an important day," said Erika Wilson, Justin's mother. "I feel good. We're gonna go out there and stay focussed. We need to bring him back home to this family."

Justin's mother and stepfather have worked tirelessly to try to find him. They said they're encouraged by the fact that Gwinnett County police have developed some leads.

"I know they've been doing busy doing interviews and going to a few houses," said Steven Wilson, Justin's stepfather. "We don't have any specifics, but we know they're working on it."

For Saturday's search, organizers focussed on a four-mile radius around the cell tower that picked up Justin's last phone call to one of his friends last Thursday night.

"If there's anything suspicious, we're gonna mark it for the police and hopefully get Justin home," said Kelli McGill, Justin's aunt.

"We need him back, we need him back," said Justin's mother. "We all miss him very much."
Family and friends remain confident they will find Justin safe somewhere.

They're offering a reward to anyone who comes forward with information about Justin's whereabouts.

The reward stands at $2000 now.

For more information about how you can add to the reward fund, call Karen Beyers at 770-822-4556.
www.11alive.com/news/article_...storyid=106227

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Posted: 3:33 pm EST November 6, 2007
Updated: 7:09 am EST November 8, 2007



GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A college student has been reported missing when he did not come home after going out to Wild Bill's in Gwinnett County.

Officials said they have started an investigation into the case of an 18-year-old missing since Thursday night. Gwinnett County authorities said Justin Gaines' mother filed a police report Sunday after he didn't return home.

According to the police report, Gaine's mother, Erika Wilson, said that her son came home Thursday and told her he was going out with friends. He was dropped off at Wild Bill's that night. Later that evening, Gaines called a friend to pick him up but the friend told him he couldn't. Gaines has not been seen or heard from since.

"Very frightening. We have seven kids and this is our worst nightmare," said Wilson.

Wilson said she has contacted her son's friends, local hospitals and jails and has not been able to locate her child.

"The community's been great but we haven't had any leads for his whereabouts, what could have happened, if he left with someone and he hasn't called anyone and that's not like him," said Wilson. Gaines is a student at Gainesville State College and his family said he is responsible and usually calls home.

Friends of Gaines said he had fake IDs in the name of Brad Allen and Brad Shewe. He is 5'11" and 210 lbs with a muscular build. He has blue eyes and brown hair with a short buzz cut. He has both his ears pierced with diamond studs and was last seen wearing a long sleeve gray shirt with "Abercrombie" written on the front.

Officials said they are attempting to track Gaines' cell phone to obtain information. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Gwinnett County Police Department at 770-513-5300.
Copyright 2008 by WSBTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/loc...._Answers_060509
Mother of Missing Teen Needs Answers
Updated: Friday, 05 Jun 2009, 10:19 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 05 Jun 2009, 9:35 PM EDT




It's been 19-months and still no sign of a missing Gwinnett County teenager. The family of Justin Gaines is hoping surveillance video showing him leaving a nightclub brings in fresh leads.

Erika Wilson said every time the phone rings she hopes the voice on the other line has information that will bring closure to her family. It's been something that's been out of reach for more than a year and a half.

The surveillance video is grainy and lasts only seconds, but the family of Justin Gaines hopes you take a close look.

The Gainesville College student disappeared after a night of partying at Wild Bills on November 1, 2007. His mother said this is the final confirmed sighting of the then 18-year-old.

"He was 18 when he went missing, then 19, now he's 20. And I don't want 21 to come along with no answers," said Wilson.

She said Gaines was unsuccessfully trying to reach friends for a ride home. The surveillance tape shows Gaines walking in to the club. It was released in 2007. The tape, several searches and a $25,000 reward have failed to turn up any signs of him.

"I know my son has probably been murdered and people out there know something," said Gaines mother.

The missing teen's family hired a private investigator, who said he is revisiting earlier tips in the case. He said, in particular, he wants to talk to an anonymous male caller who said he saw Justin that night, talking to two men in a parking lot.

"He also stated that over the weekend, he saw these two people and they talked about what happened to Justin," said Justin's mother.

Wilson said she's spent countless hours looking at images of her son disappearing into the darkness.

"I beg you don't make me go through this any longer," she said.

Wilson has hope someone will come forward and even wears a bracelet with the word on it.

"I thought after two weeks we'd have answers - good or bad. I never thought it would be 19 months. That this would be the life cycle that we do every day," she said.

[Admin]

Snellville mother vows to find missing son
Six months ago Justin Gaines went missing from a Duluth nightclub, his mother will not stop until she finds him

By ANDRIA SIMMONS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/01/08




Old photographs of Justin Gaines who disappeared from Wild Bill's nightclub off Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth during the early morning hours of Nov. 2.


Erika Wilson's job pays nothing, causes unbearable stress and so far has produced no results.

But Wilson is determined to pursue what became her life's work exactly six months ago —helping authorities find her missing son, Justin Gaines.


"I never wanted this new life," Wilson said. "I didn't ask for it, but it's my job now."

Working from a garage converted into a home office, she has focused on making buttons and bumper stickers, raising funds for a reward, handing out flyers, setting up a telephone tip line and maintaining a Web site —anything to make sure the public doesn't forget her missing son.

No one has seen or heard from Gaines since he disappeared from Wild Bill's nightclub off Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth during the early morning hours of Nov. 2. Weeks of scouring the area with volunteer search parties turned up no clues.

"Not a shoe, not a shirt, nothing of his belongings," Wilson said.

Friends dropped off Gaines at the club on Nov. 1. At the time Gaines was 18 and a freshman at the Oconee campus of Gainesville College in Athens. He was home visiting his family in Snellville for the weekend.

Gaines reportedly made several calls later that evening to friends asking for a ride home. None of them were able to pick him up.

Wilson's prevailing theory is that Gaines got "the wrong ride" by someone who hurt him that night. But she also clings to a hope that he could be alive somewhere.

While the case remains unsolved, Wilson said she has no desire to return to her job in real estate.

Erica and her husband Steve Wilson have also hired private investigator Bob Poulnot of Lawrenceville to probe the case.

"I know it's been a long time," Poulnot said Thursday, "but we're still working on leads and we don't intend to give up."

Gwinnett police spokesman Officer David Schiralli said investigators have no more leads to follow.

"Every possible avenue that we could follow up, we followed through on," Schiralli said. "Now we're just waiting for anybody else to come forward with new information."

Schiralli said investigators have placed a wide range of items connected to the case into evidence, 75 of which were delivered to the GBI lab for analysis. He declined to talk about specific pieces of evidence. Schiralli said the GBI will soon meet with Gwinnett investigators to review the case "from an outsider's point of view."

Some of the six other children in the Wilsons' blended family —their ages range from 13 to 21— have celebrated birthdays in their brother's absence. When Gaines' 19th birthday passed on March 31, Wilson developed such a migraine headache that she couldn't move from her bed.

Steve Wilson, Gaines' stepfather, decided that day to have a likeness of Gaines tattooed above his heart. Wilson said her husband wanted to see his son's face every day in the mirror when he dresses.

On Friday, family and friends will gather for a cookout and candlelight vigil in remembrance of Gaines at Bethesda Park at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Snellville.

The Wilsons are offering a $25,000 reward to anyone with information leading to Gaines' whereabouts. Anyone with information can call 1-877-270-9500 or visit www.justingaines.com.

Until they get the tip they've been waiting for, Wilson's work continues.

"Every day I cry, pray and hope for answers," Wilson said. "I can't imagine doing this another six months. I want to quit this job."



Jason Getz/AJC
Erika Wilson stands next to her SUV with a sticker advertising the missing of her son Justin Gaines

[Admin]

Human remains found in Gwinnett Co.

By Katie Highsmith Staff




The remains are not believed to be those of a missing Gainesville State College student, Justin Gaines. DACULA - Gwinnett County Police are trying to identify human remains found in a wooded area in Dacula.

Gwinnett County Police Corp. David Schiralli said tree service workers were in a wooded area near Drowning Creek Road and Tanner Road Monday when they made the discovery.

"They have ruled that the skeletal remains they found are an adult human and they are approximately one year old," he said.

Schiralli said investigators will be looking into cold and missing persons cases, but he said one missing persons case has most likely been ruled out.

"The preliminary review of the dental records by the medical examiner's office has most likely ruled out the remains as being that of Justin Gaines," he said.

Gaines, a Gainesville State College student, was last seen outside of Wild Bill's in Duluth in November 2007.

Schiralli said authorities are still in the process of determining the victim's gender and cause of death.

[Admin]

Adult skeleton found in Dacula

By Josh Green
Staff Writer






DACULA - Workers found the skeletal remains of an adult human Monday in woods near Drowning Creek Road in Dacula.

Forensics experts haven't determined the victim's age or gender, but a preliminary review of dental records by the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner's Office shows the remains are not likely those of Justin Gaines, whose high-profile disappearance has stumped investigators for nearly two years.

It appears the bones, found near Tanner Road and the Barrow County line, had been exposed to the elements for more than a year, Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli said.

Workers with a tree service entered the property at the request of the owner and stumbled on the remains about 10 a.m. The cause of death has not been determined, Schiralli said.

Gaines, a Brookwood graduate and Gainesville State College student, vanished in November 2007 after a night of partying at a Duluth club. He remains classified as a missing person, but sources close to the case suspect he was murdered.

Gwinnett police suspended their search for Gaines last year. A $25,000 reward put up by his family still stands.

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WSB News

Partial Body Found in Gwinnett
By Condace Pressley @ July 17, 2009 6:42 PM Permalink |







(WSB Radio) Gwinnett County Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man whose body was found in some woods on Woodward Mill Road, near Satellite Boulevard.

Corporal Illana Spellman tells WSB a man, who lived in the area, wanted to find the source of a foul odor he'd been smelling for more than two weeks.

He made a gruesome discovery, a body wrapped in a plastic bag.

"Basically, all four appendages were cut on the body, at the mid thigh for the legs, and at the upper arms for both arms. The body was also decapitated," said Spellman.

While they're still early in the investigation, they do believe the body is that of a man.

"We don't know the ethnicity nor the age, all we know is that it is an adult male. We're hoping that anybody can call in with information," said Spellman.

They don't think the body is that of Justin Gaines, who disappeared nearly two years ago, after last being seen at Wild Bill's.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Gwinnett County Police or Crime Stoppers at 505-577-TIPS.

A reward of up to $2000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

July 17, 2009

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Metro Atlanta / State News 10:42 p.m. Sunday, August 2, 2009



Q: What happened to fired 911 operator?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution







Q. What has happened to 
the 911 operator who was 
fired after sending the 911 response to the wrong address? She had applied for reinstatement.

Linn Matthews, Atlanta

A. The Fulton County Personnel Board, which heard Gina Conteh’s case in March, affirmed in April the 911 center director’s 
decision to fire Conteh. County officials said she misdirected EMS units in August 2008 to a southwest Atlanta address, a delay that could have contributed to the death of Darlene Dukes, who lived in Johns Creek. The board’s decision was appealed to the Fulton County Superior Court, which has affirmed it, 
said Conteh’s lawyer, Rory Starkey. He plans to file an appeal with the Georgia Court of Appeals after receiving a signed order from the superior court, which he expects next week. Conteh has taken a job on the housekeeping staff at a hospital, Starkey said.

Q. Was the man who disappeared after leaving Wild Bill’s in Gwinnett (in November 2007) ever found?

— Ray Means, Suwanee

A. Justin Gaines, a student at Gainesville College’s Oconee County campus, has not been found. The case was turned over to a cold case detective in July, said Gwinnett County Police Spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli. Anyone with information can call Gwinnett County Police at 770-513-5300.

[Admin]

Mystery of disappearance of Justin Gaines continues
May 11, 1:32 PMGwinnett County Headlines ExaminerD. Dixon









It's hard to believe it's been two years since I have been writing about the search for Justin Gaines. the young man who disappeared from a nightclub near I-85 in Duluth GA (Gwinnett County).

He has been missing since November 2, 2007. There are no new leads.

Searches have been done by teams by foot, by air, and by water. No activity has been detected from his credit cards or cell phone.

Nothing is known about what happened to him, except that he was trying to get a ride that night. He was last seen in the parking lot of the nightclub, Wild Bill's.

Grainy surveillance video surfaced in December, 2007. But after that - absolutely nothing. A forensic astrologer analyzed the case.

Justin is listed on the FBI's website as missing and possibly kidnapped.

Justin Gaines' mother, Erika Wilson, has put aside her real estate career and remains focused on finding her son.

She spends her time printing and distributing fliers, updating the website for Justin and whatever it takes. She is pretty sure that Justin got on someone's bad side that evening. She has said that she thinks he took a ride home that night, and it was the wrong ride.

Erika Wilson has said, "I feel in my heart someone knows what happened that night."

A tip line has been established to help locate Justin Gaines. If you have any information, no matter how small you might think it is, they need to hear from you! A reward of $25,000 is offered. Call the tip line toll free at 1-877-270-9500.

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North American Missing Persons Network

Justin Glen Gaines








Above Images: Gaines, circa 2007

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

# Missing Since: November 2, 2007 from Duluth, Gwinnett, Georgia
# Classification: Missing
# Date Of Birth: March 31, 1989
# Age: 18
# Height: 5'10"-5'11"
# Weight: 210-230 lbs
# Hair Color: Brown
# Eye Color: Blue
# Race: White
# Gender: Male
# Distinguishing Characteristics: He normally keeps his hair shaved or "buzzed."
diamond studs in both ears
# Clothing: A gray "Abercrombie" t-shirt and blue jeans with holes in them.
# AKA: Brad Allen, Brad Shewe
# Case Number: NCMA1084559

Details of Disappearance
Gaines was a college freshman at Gainesville State College (Oconee Campus) when he was last seen in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2007. He walked out of Wild Bill's establishment in Duluth, GA, but was never seen actually leaving the property. It is not known if foul play was involved in Justin's disappearance.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
[phone]
[phone]
or
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)

Source Information
NCMEC
GBI
Find Justin Gaines
NamUs

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Justin Glen Gaines












Top Two Rows and Bottom Left and Center: Gaines, circa 2007;
Bottom Right: Age-progression to age 20 (circa 2009)

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Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

# Missing Since: November 2, 2007 from Duluth, Georgia
# Classification: Endangered Missing
# Date Of Birth: March 31, 1989
# Age: 18 years old
# Height and Weight: 5'10 - 5'11, 210 - 230 pounds
# Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Gaines may use the alias names Brad Allen and/or Brad Shewe, and he reportedly has false identification for those names. His ears are pierced and his hair was styled in a buzz-cut at the time of his disappearance. He has a very muscular build as a result of weightlifting.
# Clothing/Jewelry Description: A gray long-sleeved Abercrombie shirt, ripped jeans, flip-flops and diamond stud earrings.

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Details of Disappearance

Gaines was last seen at Wild Bill's, a nightclub off Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth, Georgia, at 1:30 a.m. on November 2, 2007. He was a regular patron of the club. He did not have his car or his wallet with him and he was trying to find a ride to his mother's home in Snellville, Georgia. Witnesses reported he appeared to be either intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, and he may have gotten into an allegation with another patron at the club. He made several cellular phone calls to friends asking for a ride home, but none of them were able to assist him. The last time his phone was used was shortly before 2:00 a.m. Gaines never arrived home and has never been heard from again.

In June 2007, several months prior to his disappearance, Gaines was arrested after police found him drunk and passed out in his car. An open bottle of vodka was located in the vehicle, as well as false identification. Gaines was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor, second-degree forgery and having an open container of alcohol. He had a court hearing on the matter scheduled for November 21, weeks after his disappearance, but did not show up. Gaines's family was aware of the charges against him and they do not believe the court case is related to his disappearance. He had a reputation as a partier before he went missing.

At the time of his disappearance, Gaines was a freshman at the Oconee campus of Gainesville College in Athens, Georgia. He is a graduate of Brookwood High School. He normally keeps in close contact with his family and it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Although there is no evidence of foul play in Gaines's case, his loved ones fear for his safety. Several of his friends have not been cooperative with police in his case. His disappearance remains unsolved.

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Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office
770-513-5100

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Source Information
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Project Jason
Find Justin Gaines
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WGLC-TV
The Chronicle-Telegram
America's Most Wanted

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Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004.

Last updated October 30, 2009; age-progression added.

Charley Project Home

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Justin Glen Gaines








Race: White
Missing From : Gwinnett County
Weight: 210
Height: 5' 11"
Sex: Male
Age: 18
Hair Color: Brown
Eyes: Blue
Contact:
Gwinnett County Police Department, Criminal Investigations Section: [phone] or [phone]
Narrative:

Justin Glen Gaines was an 18 year-old college freshman at Gainesville State College (Oconee Campus) when he was last seen in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2007. He walked out of Wild Bill's establishment in Duluth, GA, but was never seen actually leaving the property. It is not known if foul play was involved in Justin's disappearance.

Justin was last seen wearing a gray "Abercrombie" t-shirt and blue jeans with holes in them. He normally keeps his hair shaved or "buzzed." Additional photos and details can be found at www.justingaines.com.

Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Justin Gaines or has information about his disappearance is asked to contact the Gwinnett County Police Department, Criminal Investigations Section at [phone] or [phone].