After twin brothers who missed their flight to Boston were found dead 24 hours later in the Georgia Mountains, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) ruled their tragic and mysterious deaths a murder-suicide, but their family disputes the call.
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According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a hiker found two Black men shot to death at the top of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Georgia. The Towns County Sheriff’s Office later identified them as twin brothers, Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, both 19, of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. The two men were found nearly 90 miles from their home.
An official press release from GBI, dated March 9, says that on Saturday, March 8, at about 11:05 a.m., the Towns County 911 Center received a call about two people found dead at the top of Bell Mountain, near the North Carolina border. Shortly after the discovery, the Towns County Sheriff’s Office requested the help of GBI. Both men were found with gunshot wounds.
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GBI says that after the preliminary investigation, they are treating the case as a murder-suicide. GBI reports that autopsies have been completed. However, the agency is still awaiting additional forensic test results along with additional investigative work before issuing a final ruling on the cause of death. They also report that the death investigation is active and ongoing.
Family Of Twin Brothers Found Dead In Georgia Mountains Questions GBI’s Murder-Suicide Ruling
However, the victims’ family is pushing back against the murder-suicide ruling. The family insists that that explanation doesn’t make sense as the brothers would never hurt each other. The family further adds that the twin brothers were supposed to be in Boston visiting friends at the time of their deaths. The twins’ aunt, Samira Branwer, and uncle, Rahim Branwer, spoke with 11alive about their shocking, tragic, and mysterious deaths.
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Samira says, “We want answers, we want to know exactly what happened to the twins,” whom family members called inseparable, having had no known history of conflict. Rahim adds, “They’re very protective of each other. They love each other. They’re, like, inseparable. I couldn’t imagine them hurting each other because I’ve never seen them get into a fistfight before.”
According to family members, the twin brothers booked a flight to Boston for 7 a.m. on Friday, March 7. However, they never got on the plane. After missing their Boston flight, the twin brothers were found dead just 24 hours later in the Georgia Mountains. The family said this was an area they had never visited before. Also, officials found the brothers’ plane tickets in their wallets on the mountain.
Family Of Twin Brothers Found Dead In Georgia Mountains Demand Answers
The Brawners further ask, “How did they end up out in the mountains? They don’t hike out there, they’ve never been out there. They don’t know anything about Hiawassee, Georgia. And they never even heard of Bell Mountain, so how did they end up right there?”
When the GBI suggested their deaths a murder-suicide, the Branwers strongly disputed the ruling and said, “We right away that wasn’t true.” Another aunt, Yasmine Brawner, adds, “They had a huge support system. We know them. They wouldn’t do anything like this. To say they did this to each other? No. Something happened in those mountains, and we want answers.”
The family has also created an online campaign fund to help cover the funeral costs for the twin brothers.
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