Missing teen with autism found dead after vanishing from summer camp, Georgia cops say
A search for a missing teenager with autism was suspended after officials found the 16-year-old dead, a sheriff’s office in Georgia announced on May 30.
Connor Mathis, 16, was found deceased after vanishing from an island summer camp on Memorial Day, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Mathis was last seen at Camp Jekyll on Jekyll Island on May 29, according to a release from the Georgia State Patrol and Glynn County Sheriff’s Office.
Residents in the area of the camp were asked to check around their homes to look for the teen, according to the post. Mathis “may be afraid or confused and looking for shelter,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said that more information will be released on the afternoon of May 30 during a debrief at the Jekyll Island Golf Club.
“We appreciate the communities significant support in assisting with the search and all of the search and rescue support provided by the local, county, and state officials and agencies regionally,” the sheriff’s office said. “We extend our condolences to the family and to all those in our community who knew Connor and are heartbroken about the loss of this young life.”
Mathis was a student at Glynn Academy, his parents told The Brunswick News. He was described as a happy child who liked to play basketball with his local team, the outlet reported.
The cause and manner of Connor’s death is still under investigation by the Georgia State Patrol, the Brunswick News reported.
The camp Mathis was attending was a community church camp, according to the First Baptist Church in Brunswick, which shared search information on its Facebook after Mathis vanished.
“He was last seen during their free period around 3:30PM. His group was playing volleyball at the field, in front of the 4H center. He told his peers he wanted to go to the beach so the search (was) heavily focused on the beach area there and the extensive dunes,” according to First Baptist Church. “They realized he was missing around 5PM when he did not return for dinner. He was wearing a red shirt, black shorts, no shoes and did not have his phone.”
Jekyll Island is about 100 miles south of Savannah.
This story was originally published May 30, 2023 at 12:58 PM with the headline "Missing teen with autism found dead after vanishing from summer camp, Georgia cops say."
