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Family of Navy sailor found dead 'loved his country, and he loved his family'

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Published  November 15, 2024 10:40pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Family mourns loss of Navy specialist

The family of a 25-year-old Navy specialist Devin Jeter is mourning his death and has many unanswered questions.

The Brief

    • Devin Jeter, a 25-year-old Navy specialist from metro Atlanta, was found dead in south Georgia after being reported missing.
    • Devin's family describes him as a loving person who was proud of his military service and was an aviation ordnanceman responsible for weapons systems.
    • After renting a car to return to his station in Jacksonville, Florida, Devin never arrived, and his family lost contact with him.
    • His body was discovered by a fisherman on a boat ramp along the Ocmulgee River with no identification or signs of trauma; he was later identified by his tattoos.
    • The rented Jeep Compass has not been found, and the family is without closure as they plan for a military funeral.

ATLANTA - The family of a Navy specialist from metro Atlanta is mourning his death and has many unanswered questions. The body of 25-year-old Devin Jeter was found in south Georgia days after he was reported missing.

"He was an outgoing loving person who loved the military, who loved his country, and he loved his family," said Debra Smith. 

Debra Smith's eyes shine with pride when she talks about her nephew. The 25-year-old was in the Navy, currently stationed in Jacksonville, Florida.

"He was an aviation ordnanceman. He was responsible for all the weapons systems," said Gary Smith, Devin's uncle.

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Devin Jeter (Family photo)

Devin came home to Atlanta last week. On Thursday night, Nov. 7, he went to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and rented a Jeep Compass so he could drive back to Jacksonville to get to work the next day.

He never showed up in Florida and his family never heard from him again.

"We have a picture of him in the car leaving the airport and that's the last that we know," said Gary Smith. 

They filed a missing person’s report with the Atlanta Police Department and put the word out on social media.

"It was six days of not knowing," said Debra Smith.

What the family did not know at the time, Monday, four days after Devin left Atlanta, a fisherman in Telfair County, almost 200 miles away, discovered the body of a man on a boat ramp along the Ocmulgee River.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released this image showing the vehicle driven by 25-year-old Devin Jeter, whose body was discovered in the Ocmulgee River near Lumber City on Nov. 11, 2024.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released this image showing the vehicle driven by 25-year-old Devin Jeter, whose body was discovered in the Ocmulgee River near Lumber City on Nov. 11, 2024. (GBI)

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the man had no identification, no signs of trauma to his body, and they had no idea who he was. 

Two days later, the GBI called Devin's family. When Devin's father described the tattoos his son had, it was confirmed that the body found along the river, was Devin.

"He was a Christian and the tattoos on both sides of his arms were crosses, so the identification was made off of that," said Debra. 

The rented Jeep he was driving has not been found. According to the police report, Devin called Enterprise Rental Car on Saturday morning, saying "The car was lost".

That just adds to the mystery and the many questions the family has. They are trying to make sense of it all, but haven't been able to.

The Source: The family of spoke with FOX 5 Atlanta reacting to the death of 25-year-old Devin Jeter. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation gave preliminary information about the car, Jeter's body being discovered, and the investigation. The Atlanta Police Department initially provided the details of Jeter's disappearance.