By Shawn Jarrard
Towns County Herald Editor
On Monday, March 17, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested and charged Towns County volunteer firefighter Scott Kerlin with misdemeanor obstruction.
Kerlin, 42, of Hiawassee, is accused of taking photos of the Lewis twins’ death scene and sharing them publicly this month. He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
As background, the GBI has been investigating the deaths of twin brothers Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, both 19, of Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County.
The investigation began after hikers reported finding the twins deceased with gunshot wounds at the top of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee on the morning of Saturday, March 8.
A GBI Medical Examiner has completed autopsies for the twins, but the official Medical Examiner ruling and results are pending additional forensic tests, according to the GBI.
The preliminary investigation has revealed the deaths to be a murder-suicide, though the death investigation remains active and ongoing, per the GBI.