A volunteer firefighter in Towns County has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the deaths of twin brothers found at the summit of Bell Mountain, while the victims’ family continues to dispute law enforcement’s determination that the case is a murder-suicide.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced Tuesday that 42-year-old Scott Kerlin, a volunteer firefighter from Hiawassee, has been charged with misdemeanor obstruction. Authorities allege that Kerlin took photos of the crime scene and publicly shared them, prompting his arrest.
The case began on March 8th, when hikers discovered the bodies of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, both 19, at the mountain’s peak. The GBI reported that both men had sustained gunshot wounds and that initial findings suggested one brother killed the other before taking his own life. However, the official autopsy ruling remains pending as forensic testing continues.
The twins’ family has rejected the murder-suicide theory, arguing that the two were exceptionally close and had no history of conflict. Relatives also raised concerns about the location of their deaths, stating the brothers had never visited Bell Mountain before and had been scheduled to fly to Boston the day prior. Their plane tickets were reportedly found in their wallets at the scene.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The GBI has not released additional information regarding Kerlin’s actions beyond the obstruction charge.
