Police appeal to anonymous tipster in Blake Chappell murder | News

Via a pre-recorded YouTube press conference on Nov. 20, NPD Det. Marcos Gonzales provided an update on Chappell’s case, saying all leads have been followed in the 12-year-old investigation.

“The Newnan Police Department remains committed to following any and all leads in this case,” said Gonzales, a recent addition to the investigative team. “This includes reexamining old leads. We are determined to solve this homicide.”

Chappell reportedly left his girlfriend’s house in the early hours of Oct. 16 to walk the three miles to the friend’s home where he was to stay overnight. He never made it to the friend’s home, and his last known communication was a text about the cold weather sent to his girlfriend around 5:30 a.m.

He was reported missing just before noon on Oct. 16. Despite extensive searches over the next few weeks, authorities found no sign of Chappell until Dec. 19, when passers-by reported finding a body in a small creek that runs alongside the driving range at SummerGrove Golf Club.

No identification, clothing or possession were found at or near the site, according to investigators. Chappell’s week-old, text-only phone has never been located.

His death was ruled a homicide, but no arrests have ever been made.

Gonzales said in his Nov. 20 video statement that a thorough investigation has “identified additional steps,” one of which is an appeal to the public for information – specifically, to the person believed to have written two anonymous letters to…