ELBERT COUNTY, Ga. — Thursday marks one year since an explosion destroyed one of Georgia’s strangest attractions — the Georgia Guidestones.
The Georgia Guidestones were a 19-foot-tall granite monument that served as a tourist attraction and fodder for conspiracy theories since it was built in 1980. To this day, nobody knows who paid for the stones.
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On July 6, 2022, an explosive device partially toppled the Stonehenge-like structure. Crews later demolished the rest of the structure for safety concerns.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed to Channel 2 Action News on Wednesday that there are no updates on the investigation. So the mystery remains: Who blew up the Guidestones, and what was their motive?
Here’s what we know about the Guidestones and the investigation.
WHAT WERE THE GUIDESTONES?
According to the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce, the origin story of the stones goes back to 1979, when Joe Fendley, the president of the Elbert Granite Finishing Company Inc., was approached “by a neatly dressed man” about building the monument.
The man identified himself as Robert C. Christian.
“During his visit with Fendley, explained that he represented a ‘small group of loyal Americans who believe in God.’ He said they lived outside of Georgia and wanted to ‘leave a message for future generations,’” the Chamber said.
After the man left the meeting with Fendley, Christian went to the Granite City Bank to get a loan for the project. There, he met with Wyatt C. Martin.
“Christian informed Martin about his plans and the group he was associated with had planned this monument for 20 years. He said the group wished to remain anonymous and revealed to Martin that his real name was not Robert Christian, it was a pseudonym chosen because of his Christian beliefs. After being sworn to secrecy, Christian told Martin his real name and some other personal information so Martin could investigate him properly before the project began,” the Chamber said on its website.
To this day, Martin is said to be the only person who knows the real identity of Christian.
The prototype of the monument that Christian brought to the Elbert Granite Finishing Company closely resembled Stonehenge in England. Its four slabs and central pillar functioned like a compass, calendar and clock.
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE GUIDESTONES?
On July 6, 2022, several neighbors in Elbert County reported hearing sounds of an explosion around 4 a.m. When the sheriff’s office arrived at the tourist attraction, they saw that an explosion had destroyed a large portion of the Guidestones.
“It’s sad,” Christopher Kubas with the Elberton Granite Association said. “Not just for Elberton and Elbert County, but I’m sad for the United States and the world. These were tourist attractions, and it was not uncommon for people from around the world to be up here at any given time.”
NewsChopper 2 flew over the monument, where one of the pillars was reduced to rubble. Later that night, crews demolished the other pillars for safety concerns.
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WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE?
Surveillance video shows a figure running to the statue and then running away. The video and still images taken from it are of poor quality, but they do show a figure seemingly carrying something large to the base of the monument.
the GBI released video of the explosion itself and a silver car driving away from the scene.
The local district attorney’s office said whoever destroyed the monument faces at least 20 years in prison without parole for destroying a public monument with an explosive device.
WILL THE GUIDESTONES BE REBUILT?
No, the Georgia Guidestones are not being rebuilt. The Elbert County Board of Commissioners voted in August to donate the debris from the mysterious Georgia monument to the Elberton Granite Association and its museum.
Former Elbert County Administrator Phil Pitts, who resigned earlier this year, said back in August that it was his understanding that no board members wanted the county government to be involved in rebuilding the monument.
The Elberton Granite Association says that they will preserve the remains until it can be decided whether or not the Guidestones should be rebuilt.
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