UPDATE: GBI makes arrest in investigation into death of Athens man

NICHOLSON – The GBI has arrested a Georgia man in connection with the death of a 29-year-old Athens man.

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TO UPDATE:

On Friday, July 12, 2024, the GBI arrested and charged William Austin, 31, of Jefferson, GA, with first-degree murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence in connection with the murder of Antowne Lay.

Austin was taken to the Jackson County Jail.

ORIGINAL PUBLICATION:

At the request of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating the death of 29-year-old Antowne Shalmar Lay of Athens, GA.

Lay was found near the intersection of Antioch Church Road and Gus Barnett Road in Nicholson, GA.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 706-367-8718 or the GBI Regional Investigation Office in Athens, GA at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by phone at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online or by downloading the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the files will be turned over to the Piedmont Judicial Circuit for prosecution.