In the quiet community of Cherokee County, Georgia, the life of 38-year-old Scott E. Abernathy came to a tragic and violent end in late January of 2016. A native of the area, his sudden disappearance on January 28th of that year prompted a swift response from his concerned family, who reported him missing to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. This report would set in motion an investigation that would soon uncover a grim reality.
The search for Scott, a male, culminated in a
heartbreaking discovery on Friday, January 29, 2016. His body was located in the cold waters of the Chattooga River. From the outset, investigators with the Sheriff's Office and the Major Crimes Unit suspected foul play, believing that Abernathy had been shot before his body was disposed of in the river. This suspicion cast a dark shadow over the community as law enforcement diligently worked to piece together the events leading to his death.
The investigation quickly led to a person of interest, and an arrest was made in connection with the case. Forty-eight-year-old Ben T. McCool of Gaylesville was taken into custody. At the time of being implicated in Abernathy's death, McCool was already facing charges in an unrelated case involving domestic violence and child abuse. With the discovery of Abernathy's body and the evidence gathered by investigators, a murder charge was added to the accusations against McCool. A bond was subsequently set at $310,000 as he awaited further legal proceedings. The case against him remains under the purview of the Cherokee County Major Crimes Unit.
