Family speaks out after missing sailor from NAS Jax found dead in Georgia river

ATLANTA, Ga. — The family of a 25-year-old Navy sailor stationed at NAS Jax is looking for answers after his body was found in a Georgia river Thursday. Action News Jax’s Atlanta station WSB-TV talked to the family of Devin Jeter saying he dedicated his life to service.

On Monday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a fisherman found Jeter’s body along the Ocmulgee River near Lumber City, Ga.

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Jeter was the youngest of six siblings and followed two of his sisters and an older brother into the military shortly after he graduated from Druid Hills High School in Atlanta.

Jeter’s enlisted in the Navy and served in Japan before he was recently redeployed to NAS Jax a few months ago, his family told WSB-TV.

“(He was) a caring, thoughtful person who enjoyed life, and he was always a happy person,” Debra Smith, Jeter’s great aunt said.

While driving back to Jacksonville last week, Jeter disappeared.

His family says he took a rental car at 10:30 pm on Thursday to make the overnight drive so he could report for duty at NAS Jax the next morning.

Overnight calls went unanswered and he never reported for duty.

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“That’s when alarm bells start going off,” Smith said.

For days, phone calls went unanswered, with no word on where Jeter may have gone.

“You can’t imagine this guy, as responsible as he is, disappearing,” Gary Smith, Jeter’s great uncle, said.

On Monday, two days later, the GBI called the family with the bad news. They identified Jeter’s body by the crosses tattooed on his arms.

“I can tell you the last six days have been the worst days of my life,” Debra Smith said.

The family says Jeter’s body did not have any identification with it.

According to the latest information from the GBI, his rental car has not been located. However, the initial autopsy did not find any apparent injuries— more tests are still being done.

Jeter’s family says he was generous, adventurous, brave and was dedicated to service.

Now, they are left grieving the loss of a man with so much promise.

Anyone with information about Jeter’s disappearance and death is asked to contact the GBI regional investigative office in Eastman at 478-374-6988, or share tips anonymously via the GBI’s tip line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at GBI’s tip submission page, or through the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.

*WSB-TV, Atlanta contributed to this report.

Read: Body of missing Navy sailor stationed in Jacksonville found in Georgia river

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