The body of University professor George Zinkhan has been found, hidden under brush a mile from where his abandoned Jeep was found May 1.

According to Athens-Clarke County police, cadaver dogs and law enforcement searched the area where Zinkhan’s 2005 Jeep Liberty was found, and a concealed body was uncovered during their extensive search of that area.

At a news conference Saturday afternoon, law enforcement officials revealed various aspects of the discovery, but would not say for certain it was Zinkhan, pending autopsy reports. Later Saturday, officials at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed the body was indeed Zinkhan.

The search team gave a scent to dogs Saturday morning, and they found the body within 10 minutes. The body was purposefully concealed, and Police Chief Jack Lumpkin said the body was beneath the earth, but not buried. The body was put in the ground, and something was pulled over it. Lumpkin has only seen something like this once before in his decades in law enforcement, but there are no indications that anyone else was involved.

GBI are still working on the autopsy and cause of death for the body. The body had a lot of decomposition, and had been there for a period of time, but police are unsure if it has been there since April 25.

The body was found near Fowler Mill Road, which was outside of the May 1 search area. The woods are thick in the area, prompting police to bring out even more people to search on foot. The dogs that found him are Madison, an Australian shepherd, and Circe, a German shepherd.

The body was found with two weapons, which are consistent with the two used during the crime – .22 and .38 pistols. The weapons are still being tested.

The closest home to the body is maybe a mile. No one lives on the property. Police are still waiting for final evidence, and a written statement will be sent out to the media later today, detailing what exactly was found.