A tentative identification has been made of the skeletal remains located on Sunday in a wilderness area off Gordon Springs Road at Rocky Face, Ga., Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said.
Investigators believe the remains may be that of Gary Wayne Fingerle, 59, from the Floyd County, Ga., area.
Family members reported Mr. Fingerle missing to the Rome Police Department in November of 2016.
He was an avid hiker and his pickup truck was found abandoned on Forestry Service Road 219 in Walker County in November. The truck would have been approximately 3½ miles from where the remains were found.
Investigators have obtained some dental records of Mr. Fingerle. They will be sent to the GBI Crime Lab to help in the identification.
Investigators do not suspect foul play was involved at this time.
His brother, former Chattanooga Christian School teacher and cross country coach Mike Fingerle, had been among those taking part in the search.