KNOXVILLE – Authorities charged a Crawford County man today with the murder of James Dudley “Trey” Byers, age 22, of Reynolds, who was reported missing from Taylor County on December 21, 2010.  Cody Daniel Jackson, age 21, of Musella, is accused of killing Byers after leaving a Fort Valley residence with him in the early morning hours of December 19, 2010. The two were headed to Crawford County in Jackson’s pickup truck. The vehicle was found burned off Fair Play Hill Road near the Crawford County Landfill a few hours later. Byers’ body has not been located.

Jackson was served with the arrest warrant at the Crawford County Jail where he was already in custody for an unrelated probation violation.  No bond has been set.  The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation by the Taylor, Peach, and Crawford County Sheriff’s Offices, assisted by agents from the GBI regional offices in Columbus and Perry. Investigators are still gathering information in the attempt to find Byers’ remains.

Anyone with information about the disappearance is requested to call the Perry GBI Office during business hours at 478-987-4545 or afterhours at 1-800- 597-TIPS.

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Contact Information:

GBI SAC Gary Rothwell, 478-987-4545; Crawford County Sheriff Lewis Walker, 478-836-3116