Sunday Death in Elbert County Now Ruled a Homicide

New information on the Elbert County manhunt and death investigation.

Late Wednesday night, Elbert County Sheriff released the names of the two individuals charged in connection with Sunday’s manhunt and subsequent death investigation.

They are identified as 26-year old Jonathan Reid Cann of Iva, SC and 23-year old Chelsea Brook Clay of Edgefield, SC.

Larry Myers lives near where the manhunt took place in the Montvideo Community.  Myers said Cann is a relative but he said authorities were first looking for another individual Sunday.

“Based on the initial description that came out, they thought they were looking for one guy, but it turned out to be my nephew, Jonathan Cann,” he said.

Elbert County 9-1-1 received a call Sunday morning around 8:00am regarding two vehicles that were on fire near the Georgia border off of Highway 368.

When officers arrived on the scene no one was near either of the vehicles that were a blaze.

A witness told officers when he saw the cars on fire, he stopped to help, but Cann allegedly pointed a gun at him and told him to leave.

Cann and Clay were arrested Sunday night near where the burned out cars where found,” Andrews saidearlier.

Later Sunday, investigators found the body of an unknown person in the trunk of one of the burned vehicles, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Anderson County investigators were notified and called in to assist.

Elbert County Sheriff Melvin Andrews said Wednesday, the death investigation has now turned into a homicide investigation.

“The autopsy on the victim found inside of the trunk of the vehicle has been completed, and the preliminary autopsy results indicate that the cause of death was homicide by gunshot,” said  Andrews.

So far, Andrews has not released the name of that victim.

As of press time, Cann and Clay had not been charged with that homicide, but they have been charged with 1st Degree Arson and Concealing the Death of Another.

Sheriff Andrews says the GBI is scheduled to be in Elberton for the fifth consecutive day today to continue their homicide investigation.

Meantime, Myers believes his nephew has been involved with drugs and it just got him into trouble.

“Drugs will do that,” he said. “I went through that phase when I was a kid, but I grew up and became responsible. Kids don’t realize how that stuff can get hold of you. It’s a whole different ballgame out there.”