Accident, Suicide, or Murder on Investigation Discovery will revisit the mysterious death of Georgia resident Jeff Gebhardt. He had been out hunting in the woods of North Georgia on September 20, 2012. On September 22, he suddenly made repeated 911 calls claiming that he was lost.
Shortly after, search parties were dispatched to find the 35-year-old Blairsville resident. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) immediately started working the case alongside officers with the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP).
It was not long before Jeff's dead body was found by a GSP chopper using heat-seeking technology, as reported by Accident, Suicide, or Murder. The incident shook the small town of Blairsville and left behind questions about how he turned up dead while hunting at Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area.
Who was Jeff Gebhardt?
Jeffrey Sean Gebhardt was born on October 27, 1976, in Florida. Though we do not know much about his early life, he later moved to Georgia. He was stationed in Blairsville, Georgia, at the time of his death.
As per reports, Jeff worked as a butcher at the Chambers Slaughter House, primarily processing and packaging meat. He was also a part of the Knights of Columbus (a Freemasons-type fraternal order).
Later that fall, Jeff enrolled at North Georgia College. He also regularly attended St. Francis Catholic Church in Blairsville. As learned from his close ones, he was looking forward to better things in life.
He had lately taken an interest in hunting. So, he embarked on a camping trip (more like a hunting expedition) with one of his friends. Two days later, he was found dead in the woods.
What happened to Jeff Gebhardt?
As seen on Investigation Discovery, Jeffrey Sean Gebhardt was out with a friend on a three-day hunting trip at Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area on September 20, 2012. As per reports, he got lost on September 22 and made several 911 calls.
The authorities set out right away to rescue him from the North Georgia woods. Finally, he was spotted by a GSP helicopter hovering above the forest.
Jeff was lying dead in a marshy area near Thurmond and Clarks Hill Lakes. As per reports, he was quite a careful hunter while unloading and unbolting his Remington .30-06.
So, when his death came out of the blue, it shocked people. According to Jeff's autopsy report prepared by State Medical Examiner Daniel Brown:
"There is a cluster of no less than 17 sharp force injuries on the chest."
He evidently died from multiple stab wounds. Three of them were close to his heart, and one was way down into the abdomen. A few of the wounds were superficial, as per medical reports.
What did the investigation reveal?
According to the primary investigation, there was no evidence (like footprints or clothes) of any other person at the scene of the crime. After a prolonged investigation, the case met its conclusion on August 7, after a Toombs Judicial Circuit grand jury declared that the wounds were "self-inflicted."
The knife that was lying close to his body had no other prints than Jeff's, as per the forensic reports. His death, though ruled as suicide, still remains in question—a mystery that keeps haunting his close ones.
As per a statement by a woman named Sonya Stone (who lived in the area where Jeff's body was found):
"Why would you come all the way from where you live, to here, to commit suicide? The pieces of the puzzle don't add up."
His suicide was later supported by his history of mental illness and years of depression. The police found two different rifles lying next to him when his body was discovered.
Questions have been looming around his death, as he had other less painful methods of causing self-harm rather than stabbing himself 17 times. All these things still raise doubts in people's minds, but all the evidence finally pointed in one direction.
The Wilkes County Grand Jury's finding read:
"Based on the opinions of State Medical Examiner Daniel Brown, MD, that all wounds, including the fatal ones, on Mr. Gebhardt were self-inflicted, and based upon the results of the investigation led by the GBI which found no evidence of any criminal agency involved in the death of Mr. Gebhardt, the Grand Jury authorized the closure of this investigation. However, the Grand Jury understands that should any new information arise that might shed new light or insight on the present facts, this case can be re-opened."
So far, there have been no further developments in the case, and it has been labeled as a suicide. It is difficult to say what Jeff exactly went through in his final hours. Thus, the whole of it still remains a mystery.
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