GA - Twin brothers miss flight to Boston, found dead 24 hours later in Georgia mountains, 14 Mar 2025

[Dre]

What an absolutely tragic case. Praying for their friends and family who must be so distraught. The times we are living in are scary and to me, murder is just as likely as suicide pact.
I have anxiety and it gets really extreme before ALL vacations, especially trips that I don’t really want to go on/feel pressure about.
I hope no matter the outcome the family gets the answers they deserve to help them heal

 

[MnkeyBznes]

So last year a Black man was found hanging from a tree in the same county and also ruled a suicide by the GBI. Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but it strikes me as very odd that, in a county that had a 1% Black and 96% white population in the 2020 census, Black men keep "committing suicide" in hiking areas.

Cause of death released for body found at High Shoals Falls

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has determined that the cause of death for the person found hanging near High Shoals Falls was suicide.

www.fox5atlanta.com

I came here to post about this story. I thought it was odd at the time and now it is extremely odd to me that this has happened twice now. I live in Blairsville, a neighboring town to Hiawassee and have been to Bell mountain several times. Until a few years ago nobody except the local kids knew about bell mountain. It was where the local kids went to hang out, paint the rocks and do what kids do (drink, smoke etc). The access road is steep and there are houses along the road. At the top there is parking and and a wooden staircase and viewing platform. There used to be cameras up there to try and keep the kids from painting on the rocks. I find it very odd that these kids would go there to commit suicide just like I found it odd that the last young black man would come to the area to commit suicide. I don’t think these boys came here on their own. I believe somebody took them there. Someone who is familiar with the area. JMO

 

[WarmingUpColdCases]

First of all what a tragic case. Thoughts and prayers to the family and I hope that LE will be able to crack the case.

However I have a wierd feeling when thinking about this case. Something doesn’t add up IMO. There are so many questions that I still have:
- Who was this friend they wanted to meet in Boston? Did they try to contact the boys when they didn’t arrive?
- Why did they have the plane tickets in their Wallets but no suitcase with them? (at least I didn’t read about any suitcases in their vicinity or in the car)
- Where did they get the gun from? And are there any fingerprints on it?
- Does it look like they got into a fight before they died? (With each other or a third person)
- When they left their sisters house on Thursday around 11p.m. did they go straight home or somewhere else?
- Why did they go the opposite direction from the airport if they wanted to catch their plane?
- And most confusing of all, why were they last seen after the flight took off?

 

[MnkeyBznes]

GBI Investigates Deaths on Bell Mountain in Towns County

Update: (3/18/2025) The GBI has arrested and charged Scott Kerlin, age 42, of Hiawassee, with misdemeanor obstruction. Kerlin is a volunteer firefighter in Towns County who took photos of the Lewis twins’ death scene and shared them publicly.

gbi.georgia.gov

 

[MnkeyBznes]

This whole North Georgia/North Carolina/Tennessee area used to be known as Sundown Towns where people of color had to leave by sundown. There is very little racial diversity here especially in North Georgia. Here is a picture from the top of Bell Mountain from a few years ago. You can see some of the painted rocks on the bottom left.

 

[Knox]

Sister saw them 11pm Thurs.
They were to catch flight 7am Fri.
Stepmom says they were last seen 3am Sat.
Investigator says no, last seen 11pm Fri.


Either way, it's clear they were seen long after they were supposed to be on the flight. Yet the news stories are presenting it as if everyone thought they made their flight and that no one knows why they didn't.


IMO

Maybe they actually did check in at the airport, hence their luggage was not in the car when discovered at Bell Mountain.

The family knows this and their language in the interview reflects that. Now I’m beginning to wonder if the car was perhaps a rental car from the airport? It’s pricey to do airport parking, most people Uber or get dropped off.

I’m leaning towards no foul play, but there are too many missing details yet to have a firm opinion.

 

[Knox]

I’d like to hear from the friend(s) they were planning to visit in Boston. Assuming the friend contacted them when they did not arrive as scheduled on Friday. Did the friend make contact or were calls/texts to the twins unanswered? Did the twins family attempt to check in to see how the flight was and if they made it safely to Boston?

Maybe that’s the answer to the four hour time conversion error? Is there a UTC factor in the time stamp on a facetime call with someone in a different time zone? I can’t remember how that stuff works?

 

[CityKid]

I wonder to whom the gun used in the killings was registered. At their age, they're too young to purchase a handgun, so how did they get the weapon (if they did at all)?

Also, if you're heading to the airport, it seems odd to be carrying a gun and bullets IMO.

 

[Knox]

I came here to post about this story. I thought it was odd at the time and now it is extremely odd to me that this has happened twice now. I live in Blairsville, a neighboring town to Hiawassee and have been to Bell mountain several times. Until a few years ago nobody except the local kids knew about bell mountain. It was where the local kids went to hang out, paint the rocks and do what kids do (drink, smoke etc). The access road is steep and there are houses along the road. At the top there is parking and and a wooden staircase and viewing platform. There used to be cameras up there to try and keep the kids from painting on the rocks. I find it very odd that these kids would go there to commit suicide just like I found it odd that the last young black man would come to the area to commit suicide. I don’t think these boys came here on their own. I believe somebody took them there. Someone who is familiar with the area. JMO

I haven’t seen you in a very long time, I remember you from the Kristi Cornwell case.

Welcome back!

 

[DizzyB]

Can the family request their own autopsies? Like a second opinion for the deceased?

 

[MnkeyBznes]

I haven’t seen you in a very long time, I remember you from the Kristi Cornwell case.

Welcome back!

Thanks! I remember you too. I wondered if you would remember, lol. I’ve been here just mostly lurking and reading

 

[WarmingUpColdCases]

Can the family request their own autopsies? Like a second opinion for the deceased?

Yes, you can contact an independent pathologist to take a second look. But this second autopsy comes with a price tag which the person making the request has to pay for out of their own pocket.

 

[Charlot123]

I wonder how well the twins were known to own family. Usually if your family members takes a flight, isn't it easier to drive them to the airport as leaving your car there is expensive and not necessarily safe? Or they can use Uber. Why use own car?

- did they, indeed, have friends in Boston? Were they officially invited? What do the friends say? Were the friends known to the family?

 

[Kudzuu]

We need more information.

Having said that a friend of mine who is a black woman traveled with me to a rural Ky town. As we drove through to where we were staying in a state park cabin she noticed there were no black people. She felt a vibe <modsnip>. When I visited the friend we went to see my friend verified that there were no black people in that town. I didn't have to ask because she noted our friend had stayed behind in the cabin.

<modsnip>

An autopsy should tell if the gun shots came from one person and that said person could have fired both shots.

 

[Charlot123]

Maybe they actually did check in at the airport, hence their luggage was not in the car when discovered at Bell Mountain.

The family knows this and their language in the interview reflects that. Now I’m beginning to wonder if the car was perhaps a rental car from the airport? It’s pricey to do airport parking, most people Uber or get dropped off.

I’m leaning towards no foul play, but there are too many missing details yet to have a firm opinion.

I am leaning towards no foul play, but
- the family not knowing much about the twins
- perhaps, the trip to Boston being not to their friends but some version of catfishing (e.g. promising a modeling job, etc) and them finding out about it in the last moment and driving back from the airport,

I can not discount. This is why it is interesting to find out why they bought the tickets

 

[Tealgrove]

I want to know why they were going to Boston. Do we know that yet?

Could one have been catfished and was being blackmailed? Being twins, did they decide to end it all, together.

There’s a lot not sitting right with me on this one.

 

[Knox]

I am leaning towards no foul play, but
- the family not knowing much about the twins
- perhaps, the trip to Boston being not to their friends but some version of catfishing (e.g. promising a modeling job, etc) and them finding out about it in the last moment and driving back from the airport,

I can not discount. This is why it is interesting to find out why they bought the tickets

Interesting thought. Family said the twins had dreams of starting a clothing line. I wondered if that was possibly tied to the visit to Boston. But it could just as easily be a friend attending college there.

So many unknowns.

 

[CityKid]

I'm suspicious of this firefighter who photographed the scene and shared the photos. Did he just happened to come across the scene, or did he know there would be two bodies to be photographed there, and he knew of others who'd want to see this scene?

GBI Investigates Deaths on Bell Mountain in Towns County

UPDATE - 5/21/2025:The GBI has concluded the investigation into the deaths of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis. Based on the results of the medical examiner’s autopsy and other investigative findings, their deaths have been ruled suicide-suicide. GBI agents have met with the Lewis...

gbi.georgia.gov

 

[Knox]

I'm suspicious of this firefighter who photographed the scene and shared the photos. Did he just happened to come across the scene, or did he know there would be two bodies to be photographed there, and he knew of others who'd want to see this scene?

GBI Investigates Deaths on Bell Mountain in Towns County

UPDATE - 5/21/2025:The GBI has concluded the investigation into the deaths of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis. Based on the results of the medical examiner’s autopsy and other investigative findings, their deaths have been ruled suicide-suicide. GBI agents have met with the Lewis...

gbi.georgia.gov

Definitely speaks to what others have said about this area. If he’s a volunteer firefighter, he likely rolled out on the initial call. That makes sense, but what he did is grossly horrific. Hope they prosecute him and he is banned from any kind of service. Who does something like that?!!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I'm trying to think of all possible situations.

If there was a third person/foul play, the options are nearly unlimited until we learn more.

With no third person involved, I can think of three scenarios:

One brother shoots the other in anger and then takes his own life in despair.

One brother shoots the other in compassion and then takes his own life in despair.

Each brother shoots themselves.

Are there options I missed? Do we know anything that makes one of these options more or less likely?