LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Family members of a Lawrenceville man missing since January told Channel 2 Action News they are hopeful they will soon know what happened to their loved one.
Monday marked exactly four months since Samuel Waters, 21, disappeared after going on a beer run with an acquaintance.
That other person later told investigators on the way to the store Waters asked to be let out of the vehicle and to be left alone.
"That was the last time we ever saw and heard from Samuel," said Debbie Layfield, Waters' aunt.
Investigators said they recently discovered Waters' cell phone later pinged a cell tower the night he disappeared in a different part of Gwinnett County, near Lake Lanier.
Monday, they launched a large search in the area around that tower, which included wooded park land around the lake.
"What would be great would be to find his phone since we knew it was in this area," said Capt. Jeff Smith with the Lawrenceville Police Department. "If this was our family member we would want all the resources available put on the investigation."
"I just hope this comes to an end soon so we can have closure as a family," said Consuella Acosta, who said she is Waters sister.
Investigators did not reveal if they found any evidence during the search.
Waters' family members told Channel 2's Matt Belanger they are confident he did not leave on his own and something happened to him.
Acosta said Waters' was excited about his fiancé's pregnancy and starting a family.
"You start to realize, I might never see my brother again," Acosta said. "I can't think of any reason he would want to leave. He loved Jhel. He loved the soon-to-be-baby at the time."
Waters' grandparents happen to live near where the search took place, and Waters' cell phone was used. They said they did not see him that night.
They told Belanger the mystery surrounding the young man's disappearance is weighing on the family.
"Until you walk through it, you don't know you don't know what's going on," said Barbara Coggins, Waters' grandmother.
If you have any information on this case you are asked to call Lawrenceville police at 770-963-2443.
WSBTV
