Authorities in Screven County continue to search for missing man with assistance from GBI

Eden Hodges and Eric Dorsch

4 days ago

SCREVEN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) – The GBI is assisting the Screven County Sheriff’s Office in the search for a missing man.

According to Sheriff Mike Kile, Kary Prescott was last seen in Screven County on June 23.

“The longer he's gone, the harder it is to get it back under control,” Kile said. “When someone's gone for three weeks, it's hard to get something back under control.”

Sheriff Kile says the investigation got off to a late start. The family reported Prescott missing this weekend after he hosted a street party and never showed up.

“We understand that people are very upset,” Kile said. “Their loved one is missing. They can't find them. We want to find them. We are doing everything we can to find them.”

Deputies, police, DNR and GBI investigators have been on the hunt this week, Kile says, using drones, sonar, aircraft and on foot. The trail is still cold, though. The sheriff's office posted its missing person poster on Facebook Friday afternoon after News 3 spoke with the sheriff.

“I've known him for years,” Kile said. “If he was here, he would be home. The word has spread among all his relatives and friends… There's no reason why he shouldn't come home.”

Family and friends have started searching for Prescott themselves, but the sheriff advises against it, saying it would jeopardize the investigation and their own safety.

“You just don't need to be out there with 10 to 15 people marching through the woods on other people's property trying to get into other people's houses,” Kile said. “You just can't do that.”

News 3 contacted family and friends, some of whom posted on Facebook about a search that would take place Saturday. We have not heard from them since.

Kile says they are starting to treat the case as a possible homicide and are now on the lookout for suspects as they continue the search.

Anyone who may know where Prescott is is asked to call the Screven County Sheriff's Office at (912) 564-2013 or the GBI Region 5 office at (912) 871-1121.