Latest news with #BellMountain
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- News.com.au
Police reveal what really happened to twin brothers found fatally shot on Georgia mountain
Authorities have ruled the mysterious deaths of twin 19-year-old brothers found fatally shot on a Georgia mountain a double suicide. The bodies of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis from Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, were discovered on March 8 around 145km away in Hiawassee, at the summit of Bell Mountain, close to the North Carolina border. The teens had planned to fly to Boston to visit their friends on the morning of March 7, but 24 hours later, they were found dead in a remote part of the state they had never visited before, their family said. Both deaths have now been declared suicides, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced in a statement Wednesday. 'Based on the results of the medical examiner's autopsy and other investigative findings, their deaths have been ruled suicide-suicide. GBI agents have met with the Lewis family to share the findings,' the statement read. Cellular location data from the pair's phones established their movements from their home to Bell Mountain, the GBI said. 'In the video that corresponds to those locations, the Lewis brothers are seen alone,' the statement reads. Only Naazir was seen travelling to the airport on March 7, but he never caught his flight and returned home, the GBI said. Qaadir did not have an airline ticket. The ammunition used in the gun that fired the fatal shots was purchased by Naazir and arrived at his home on March 5, according to records seen by the GBI. Though the agency didn't specify how they obtained the weapon. Both brothers searched on their phones for how to load a gun, suicide rates in 2024 and other chilling related searches, according to internet history retrieved by the GBI. The brothers concurrently fired the fatal shots, according to forensic evidence, and the injuries were self-inflicted, the GBI said following its investigation. The investigation into their deaths is set to be formally closed in the coming weeks. A Hiawassee volunteer firefighter, Scott Kerlin, 42, has been formally charged with misdemeanour obstruction after allegedly taking photos of the twins' death scene and sharing them publicly, the GBI said. Investigators originally thought that the twins' deaths could be a murder-suicide, although this theory was fiercely rejected by their family. The family launched a GoFundMe to hire a private investigator to examine the case, after they dismissed the theory that the pair took their own lives. 'My nephews wouldn't do this! They came from a family of love, and the twins wanted so much for their future; they had dreams of starting their very own clothing line,' the twins' aunt, Yasmine Brawner, wrote on the fundraising page. 'Something happened at Bell Mountain,' she added. The family earlier called for further investigation as to how they ended up in such a remote area. 'How did they end up out in the mountains? They don't hike out there, they've never been out there. They don't know anything about Hiawassee, Georgia. They never even heard of Bell Mountain, so how did they end up right there?' the boy's uncle, Rahim Brawner, told 11Alive News. The family did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Tragic cause of death revealed for 19-year-old twins found dead on Georgia mountain
Georgia investigators ruled the 19-year-old twins brothers found dead on top of a remote mountain more than two months ago both died by suicide. Qaadir and Naazir Lewis' lifeless bodies were found by a hiker on the summit of Bell Mountain, more than 90 miles from their Lawrenceville home, on March 8. The brothers, described by family as upbeat and outgoing, were supposed to be flying to Boston to meet up with friends when they died from gunshots. Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) preliminary findings initially suggested their harrowing deaths were the result of an apparent murder-suicide. But a deeper look at the situation and shocking new evidence revealed Qaadir and Naazir each took their own lives, the GBI announced on Wednesday. 'Based on the results of the medical examiner's autopsy and other investigative findings, their deaths have been ruled suicide-suicide,' the statement reads. Detectives said before publicly sharing this gut-wrenching information, they had notified the Lewis family. The GBI pieced together a timeline of the brother's final days using cellular location data, which reportedly tracked the brothers from their homes in Gwinnett County to the mountain near the border of North Carolina. In video that 'correspond to those locations,' the brothers are seen alone, investigators wrote. Forensic evidence suggested each of the brothers fired a gun. Regarding the trip the teens were supposed to be taking to Boston, the GBI found that only Naazir showed up to the airport on March 7. But he never boarded his flight, he just left the airport and went back home. Records obtained by the GBI show that only Naazir had an airplane ticket. Investigators said Naazir had also ordered gun ammunition that was delivered to their house on March 5. The brothers' phones also held clues about the tragedy. According to the GBI, their internet searches included 'how to load again' and 'suicide rates in 2024.' The GBI said they plan to officially close this months-long investigation in the upcoming weeks. Just as they fiercely refuted investigators original belief that one brother killed the other before turning the gun on himself, the twins' family does not agree with the GBI's suicide-suicide ruling. 'No, it doesn't make no sense,' Samira Brawner, the brothers' aunt told FOX 5. 'Both of them was funny. They loved spending time with family,' she added about the college students. Samira is also baffled about why they would have gone to Bell Mountain, claiming the two had never been their before. The distraught family said security footage from March 7 showed the twins at a Shell gas station near their home. Sabriyah Brawner, another aunt, said they seemed to be acting completely calm and normal in that video. 'Foul play was definitely involved,' she asserted. 'I feel like they were murdered.' Adding to the unsettling circumstances surrounding their deaths, a volunteer firefighter was accused of taking pictures of their corpses. Scott Kerlin, 42, was charged with misdemeanor obstruction for allegedly taking photos of the twins while responding to the scene of their death. The firefighter was then accused of sharing the photos publicly, according to the GBI. He posted the photos to social media, WSB-TV reported, though it wasn't clear on which platform he shared them. Kerlin, of Hiawassee, was fired on March 14 for violating department protocol, Towns County Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw told 11Alive. After his arrest in March, he bonded out of Towns County Jail. A GoFundMe originally created for funeral arrangements is now being used to collect funds for a private investigator to continue probing the situation. 'In recent news reports, it was claimed that they took their own lives. My nephews wouldn't do this!' the organizer, one of the brothers' aunts, wrote on the donations page, which has raised more than $67,400. 'Unfortunately Something happened at Bell mountain that ended the lives of 19 year old Qaadir and Naazir, which needs to be further investigated. We need your support to share their story. 'The family is looking for a private investigator to help bring justice to Qaadir and Naazir Lewis, we did hire a private investigator.' The distraught relative said the family had previously hired an investigator, but the case was too complex for their realm of expertise. They are hoping to hire a new detective who specializes in homicide and criminal cases. 'We will not stop fighting until the twins get justice. Anything you donate will be appreciated,' the fundraiser's description reads.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Georgia twins deaths ruled a double suicide, here's what happened
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced on Wednesday that the deaths of 19-year-old twins, found fatally shot atop Bell Mountain on March 8, have been ruled a double suicide. Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, from Lawrenceville, were discovered by hikers near the North Carolina border, a location their family described as unfamiliar to them, according to NBC News. Initially, the event was assumed to be an apparent murder-suicide, but this week the ruling has changed and the investigation is to close in the coming weeks. They planned to visit friends in Boston on March 7, but only Naazir went to the airport. He did not board his flight and returned home. Cellular location data tracked the twins' movements from their home to Bell Mountain. Video evidence shows the brothers alone at the mountain summit. Forensic evidence indicates the twins fired the weapon used, with records showing Naazir purchased ammunition on March 5. The GBI investigation concluded that the deaths were a joint act of suicide. However, the family remains uncertain about the circumstances leading to the tragic event. Saying that they were looking to hire a private investigator specializing in homicide to look into the brothers' deaths, the family organized a GoFundMe page for the twins. Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@ This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Twin brothers deaths ruled double suicide
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Acclaimed Wine Country vineyard with popular tasting room is up for sale
A celebrated Sonoma County winery and vineyard is seeking a new owner. Medlock Ames Winery and its vineyard, Bell Mountain Ranch, are up for sale for $44 million. The estate comprises 342 acres in Healdsburg, straddling the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley appellations. The listing, which was first reported by the Healdsburg Tribune, also includes Medlock Ames' popular tasting room in Alexander Valley. It's one of several California wine businesses downsizing or shutting down right now, a result of plunging wine consumption and sales. The Duckhorn Portfolio disclosed last week it will close some tasting rooms and discontinue some wine brands, including Paraduxx. The Rafael Vineyard in Napa's Oak Knoll District, the source of grapes for famous winemakers like Thomas Rivers Brown and Massimo Di Costanzo, is listed for $7.95 million, down from $10 million a year ago. The decision to sell Medlock Ames was made about 18 months ago, said president Julie Rothberg, before the industry's downturn became fully apparent. She said the winery is at its "pinnacle," thanks to winemaker Abby Watt. The team has been making notable improvements that should make it an attractive investment, particularly the rehabilitation of the Bell Mountain Ranch vineyard after parts of it burned in the 2018 Kincade Fire. The vines that they replanted are now producing fruit. 'The land has come back to life,' Rothberg said. 'If you came and saw it now, you wouldn't even know that a fire had been there.' College best friends Chris Medlock James and Ames Morrison founded Medlock Ames in 1998 after moving from New York and purchasing Bell Mountain. They gained a following for their Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux-style blends, and also became known for their sustainability efforts. They installed solar power throughout the property in 2004, and in 2022 became the first Sonoma County winery to earn a Regenerative Organic certification. In 2009, the vintners bought a 1920s gas station and dive bar about 10 minutes away from Bell Mountain and transformed it into a modern-feeling tasting room surrounded by organic gardens. It helped usher in a new era of Wine Country tourism catering to hip, young drinkers. The speakeasy they opened in the back, Alexander Valley Bar, was a hit with local winemakers. (The bar later closed, and Medlock Ames sold its liquor license.) The winery has an active club of about 2,000 members, Rothberg said. It's unclear what Medlock Ames' current ownership structure is. Rothberg said that the winery doesn't publicly discuss its ownership, but confirmed that it includes an 'original co-founder.' The property has some privileges that are becoming rarer in Sonoma County, like the ability to hold private events at the tasting room. Thanks to a permit expansion during the pandemic, they can now serve wine to customers throughout the entire tasting room property, including the gardens. Bell Mountain Ranch has 47 planted acres of grapes, about half of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rothberg estimated another 33 could be planted. The vineyard could be sold in four parcels. The winery currently makes about 8,000 cases per year, but has capacity for 20,000. The listing also includes three homes that include gardens, pools, fitness centers and a bocce court, and notes that 140 acres could be subdivided 'for additional development or expansion of hospitality services.' 'Let's be honest, this is a really challenging time in the industry,' Rothberg said. 'But I'm personally really excited about the future and finding a new owner who has the passion to continue in these progressive traditions and see the next 30 years through.' In the meantime, Medlock Ames will continue to produce wine and host visitors for tastings.
