Douglas Barnes disappeared from his home in White County on July 19
Douglas “Cordell” Barnes, 36, was last seen leaving his home in White County on July 19, 2023. His family reported him missing on July 28, after they could not reach him for several days. They said he had been struggling with some personal issues and they were worried about his well-being.
Barnes is described as five feet eight inches tall and weighing 160 pounds. He was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a camo baseball cap when he left his home. He was driving a gold Ford F-150 crew cab truck with a Georgia license plate.
His truck was found stuck in the mud near I-85 in Hart County on July 21
Two days after Barnes vanished, his truck was found abandoned near I-85 in the Lavonia area near Highway 77 and Knox Bridge Crossing, according to the Hart County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy who spotted the vehicle ran the registration, but it came up empty at the time. He put an orange tag on the window and left it there.
It was not until July 31 that the deputy ran the registration again and discovered that the owner, Barnes, had been reported missing by his family to the White County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy then notified the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, which launched an investigation into Barnes’ disappearance.
The Hart County Sheriff said his deputies searched multiple areas, went door to door, and followed up on many leads in an attempt to locate Barnes. They found no signs of him near the truck or anywhere else in the county.
A search party was organized by Texas EquuSearch on August 12 and 13
On August 12 and 13, a search party was organized by Texas EquuSearch, a nonprofit organization that specializes in finding missing persons. The search was conducted at the Georgia State Patrol post located at 1529 Knox Road in Lavonia, where Barnes’ truck was towed.
The search involved volunteers from the community, as well as personnel from the Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Public Safety, and Hart County Emergency Management. They used drones, ATVs, horses, dogs, and boats to cover a large area of land and water.
However, after two days of extensive searching, they did not find any trace of Barnes or any clues to his whereabouts. The search was suspended until further notice.
Barnes’ family is grateful for the support and hopes for his safe return
Barnes’ family drove from Oklahoma to Georgia to join the search and to appeal for any information that could help find him. They said they were heartbroken by his disappearance and hoped that he was still alive.
“We have searched for two days. We did not find Cordell,” a family member wrote to 11Alive’s Cody Alcorn, offering an update on the search. “We are so grateful for all the people in this community that volunteered their time, services and hearts to this search.”
The family also thanked Texas EquuSearch and the law enforcement agencies for their efforts and cooperation. They asked anyone who might have seen Barnes or knows anything about his disappearance to contact the authorities as soon as possible.
“We hate to leave without Cordell, that’s heartbreaking, but we saw how much these people care and that comforts us,” the family said. “We love him so much and we just want him back.”
Anyone with information about Barnes, knows his current whereabouts or has any information about his disappearance can contact the following agencies to report their tips:
- White County Sheriff’s Office at 706-865-1224
- Hart County Sheriff’s Office at 706-376-3114
- Texas EquuSearch at 281-309-9500
