PUTNAM COUNTY
The body of a man who had been missing for more than a week was discovered Tuesday by a friend, authorities say.
Michael Maddox, 62, was found behind a house, Eatonton Police Chief Howell Cardwell said Tuesday afternoon. The case is still under investigation, he said, and added that he could not say more at the moment. Maddox was commonly seen walking the sidewalks of Eatonton, looking up at the sky as he walked.
A friend contacted Eatonton Police Department on Christmas Eve and said Maddox had not been home or seen since Monday, Dec. 19.
Cardwell said Maddox was usually seen walking within one mile of McDonald’s or the NAPA Auto Parts store on Oak Street. Eatonton police officers and Eatonton Fire Department firefighters immediately began searching in that area, looking in, behind and around buildings. Monday, they expanded their search beyond the areas Maddox frequently wandered.