The man whose body was found dead Tuesday in Augusta was a registered sex offender who was reported missing and had not been seen for two weeks.
Richmond County authorities have identified the man as 66-year-old Byron Smith of Augusta. His body was found Tuesday in a wooded area off the 2400 block of Bahama Drive in Augusta. At this time, no foul play is suspected, Coroner Mark Bowen said.
At the time of the discovery, Smith was wanted for a probation violation warrant in Columbia County, and he was listed as an “absconder” on the state’s Georgia Sex Offender Registry. He pleaded guilty in February for computer pornography for sending a 13-year-old female relative videos last year that showed him masturbating. Smith blamed the incident on his abuse of alcohol. His only previous arrest was a DUI in 2012.
Chief Judge Sheryl B. Jolly accepted a guilty plea in February and sentenced Smith to one year in confinement and six years of probation, and she required he go on the state’s Sex Offender Registry. Judge Jolly give him credit for time served and allowed him to spend the remaining time in the Columbia County Jail, instead of a state prison. He was released on May 29.
On Tuesday, the coroner said his office responded to the scene, where the body appeared to have been there for several days. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
In a press release sent last week, RCSO officials say Smith was missing and had last been seen on Oct. 17 in the area of Deans Bridge Road and Gordon Highway.
