2ND UPDATE, August 8, 2018 – The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the identity of the deceased person found in Lake Carlton as Alvin Ahmed.  DNA from Mr. Ahmed’s family was used to confirm his identity.  The determination that this case is a suicide is confirmed by multiple pieces of information in addition to the findings of the Medical Examiner’s Office.  Some previously unreleased details are below.

Phone Data: Mr. Ahmed’s family members were able to obtain data from his phone’s last automatic backup, which was provided to detectives.  The phone data contained a note which indicated that Mr. Ahmed staged certain elements of the case to cast suspicion that he had been murdered.  Included in the note were details of a story about an encounter with suspicious persons who asked about his car, watch, and how much money he made.  He relayed the same story to family members and coworkers days prior to his disappearance.

The same note contained the specific list of items he purchased from Publix on the night he went missing and details of how his car was left.  Most importantly, details about how he planned to turn off his watch and phone, discard them at the nearby Atmosphere Bar and Grill, and continue on to Lake Carlton were also included in the same note.

Security Video: Mr. Ahmed was seen on security video at three different locations on the night he went missing (July 16, 2018).  The first was at the Publix at about 9:14pm, just after Mr. Ahmed finished his shift and purchased the specific items from his list.  At 10:06pm, a person matching Mr. Ahmed’s description was seen walking alone on a security camera at Atmosphere Bar and Grill (540 Athens Highway, Loganville).  Mr. Ahmed’s phone stopped communicating with the cell phone tower covering the area at the same time, indicating it had been turned off.  At 10:30pm, a person matching Mr. Ahmed’s description was seen walking alone toward Lake Carlton on a security camera at a private residence on Lake Carlton Road.

In conclusion, the evidence in this case indicates Mr. Ahmed’s death was a suicide.  There is no credible evidence that the case was a homicide.  Mr. Ahmed’s family members are fully informed on the details of the case.  The family has asked that the media and public respect their need for privacy at this time.  Please direct any further questions to the Gwinnett County Police Department.

Click here to access the initial report.

1^ST UPDATE, July 27, 2018 - The investigation into the deceased person found in Lake Carlton on July 18, 2018 has continued and is still active.  The investigation is a cooperative effort between the Gwinnett County Police Department, the Loganville Police Department, and the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office.  Circumstantial evidence does point to the deceased person being Alvin Ahmed and there is no evidence that suggests the deceased person is someone else.  However, at this point the investigation has not concluded that the deceased person is Alvin Ahmed.

Dental records from Mr. Ahmed were not available to compare with the deceased person.  The Medical Examiner’s Office is currently pursuing other avenues to confirm the deceased person’s identity.  Their efforts include reconstituting fingerprints from the deceased person for comparison to prints that likely belong to Mr. Ahmed.  DNA comparison may be used if the fingerprint investigation does not yield results.

The Medical Examiner’s Office has been able to determine that the deceased person found in the lake died as a result of suicide.  There was a gunshot injury to the deceased person’s head which was found to be consistent with suicide during the autopsy.  The nature of the injury and recovered bullet fragments match a gun and ammunition purchased by Mr. Ahmed in May 2018.

There is a significant amount of other circumstantial evidence which will not be disclosed at this time, as the case is still under investigation.

ORIGINAL RELEASE, July 19, 2018 - Gwinnett County Police Department officers responded to a “suspicious activity” call on Lake Carlton (Lake Carlton Road / Bob White Lane), unincorporated Loganville, on July 18, 2018 at about 8:15pm.  The caller noticed something floating in the water and called 911.  Fire Department personnel responded with officers and used a boat to approach the object.  They were able to confirm it was a deceased male.

Detectives have taken over the case in an effort to identify the deceased person.  Decomposition has made identification difficult; however an autopsy is scheduled for today (July 19, 2018).  Detectives are aware of the missing person case from the Loganville Police Department concerning Alvin Ahmed.

If anyone has any information to share in this case, please contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300.  To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestoppersatlanta.org.  Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive up to $2,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.  Case Number:  18-066485