Confidential tip leads deputies to missing North Georgia man's body, suspect arrested

A confidential tip pushed Haralson County deputies into a search that ended with a body in the woods near the Polk County line, and investigators now believe the remains are those of missing North Georgia man Richard Cash. What began as an unnamed lead on May 22 has now moved into an active death investigation with arrests, warrants, and a growing homicide inquiry.

Sheriff Stacy Williams received the tip on May 22, but deputies could not immediately connect the description to a missing-person case. That changed the next day, when family members reported Cash missing after not seeing him since the previous Wednesday evening around 8:30 p.m. Fox 5 Atlanta reported Cash was last seen on May 20, and once the family report matched the original tip, the Haralson County Sheriff's Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Haralson County District Attorney's Office began working together.

Investigators used technology and interviews to identify Robert Anthony “Bobby” Hill as the suspect, according to the sheriff’s office. Tallapoosa police tried to stop Hill’s vehicle on May 24, but he fled. A Cherokee County deputy later spotted him in another vehicle just after midnight on May 25. Hill allegedly ran from deputies, was tased and taken into custody. During the foot chase, Fox 5 reported Hill allegedly threw a pair of gloves containing a .38 firearm over a fence, and that weapon recovery became part of the case. Christy Nelson was detained at the scene and later released after being interviewed.

Search warrants followed, and deputies found drugs during a search. A large-scale effort then unfolded in the Treat Mountain area, with ATV teams joining local and state agencies along Treat Mountain Road and the surrounding woods. On May 27, investigators found a body about 15 feet into the woods near the Polk County line. Officials believe the remains are Cash’s, but the coroner had not completed a positive identification at the time of the discovery. Haralson Today reported Cash was 50.

Hill now faces 14 separate criminal counts, while Nelson faces five, including charges tied to concealing the death of another, false statements and tampering with evidence. Authorities have not publicly released a cause of death or a motive, and the question left hanging is the one that started this case: when the body found off Treat Mountain is formally identified, how far will the homicide investigation go?