An Ellijay man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his ex-wife, who had been missing for more than a year.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) said Charles Michael Patrick, 72, is believed to be responsible for the death of Drusilla Patrick, 68.
The charges were brought after the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office requested help from the GBI in a missing person case.
"The initial information indicated United States Probation was supervising probationer Charles Michael Patrick [a convicted sex offender] and became concerned about the whereabouts of his wife Drusilla Patrick," said Nelly Miles with the GBI in a press statement. "When the probation officer received information that Charles Patrick re-married unexpectedly, he questioned Patrick about Drusilla Patrick and received conflicting statements. Subsequently, United States Probation compared information that a GCSO Sex Offender Compliance Officer received from Patrick [and] realized that there were additional discrepancies and cause for concern."
Further investigation by both agencies revealed Drusilla Patrick was last seen alive between December 2016 and January 2017.
Miles said investigators determined the suspect had given a variety of reasons for Drusilla Patrick’s absence to several different people, each of the reasons contradictory to the other.
In addition, investigators found that Drusilla Patrick was not the suspect's legal wife because the two divorced in 1970.
The GBI and the Gilmer County Sheriff's Office obtained enough information to execute a search warrant on the Patrick home on Ridgemont Drive in Ellijay on Wednesday.
"On Thursday, human remains believed to be those of Drusilla Patrick were located on the property," Miles wrote.
Late Friday afternoon, autopsy results from the GBI Crime Lab revealed the remains were those of Drusilla Patrick; she died of an apparent gunshot wound.
At this point, Charles Patrick is charged with murder, but Miles said other charges are likely.
The suspect remained at the Gilmer County Detention Center.
