After tracking evidence for four years, Gwinnett County Police Department cold case detectives have made an arrest in the murder of a Grayson man whose skeletal remains were found in a wooded area.
Gwinnett Police Sgt. Jake Smith said David Thacker, 41, has been charged with aggravated assault and felony murder in the 2014 death of Michael Jones, who was 54 at the time of his death. Jones' skeletal remains were found by a deer hunter in May 2016 in some woods off Bailey Road in Auburn. The hunter found the skull, and then police found some of the victim's bones in a follow-up search of the area.
Smith said Thacker had been a person of interest in the case early in the investigation.
"David Thacker was a known acquaintance of the victim even back in 2014 [when he was reported missing], so detectives have known who Thacker is for awhile, but did not have reason to charge him with the homicide until recently," Smith said.
Smith said investigators believe the suspect and the victim had some sort of disagreement years ago; however, Smith declined to discuss specific evidence that led to Thacker's eventual arrest.
For now, Thacker remains in jail in Forsyth County, where he's being held on unrelated charges, according to Smith.
