Body found north of downtown Athens

By Joe Johnson

Authorities are trying to identify the body of a man whose body was found Sunday just north of downtown.

The discovery was made near some old railroad tracks adjacent to Thomas N Lay Park off of Hoyt Street.

The body appeared to be that of a middle-aged Black male who may have been homeless, said Athens-Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson,

There were no obvious indications of physical trauma, and the body will undergo an autopsy to determine an identity and cause of death.

A member of the Classic City Pétanque Club, which uses a court in Lay Park, said club members observed police activity in an area by the railroad tracks that had been cordoned off with yellow tape.

He said that club members had previously observed a homeless camp in the area.