Blake Chappell was a 17-year-old teenager who lived in Newnan, Georgia, a city located about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. Blake attended East Coweta High School and was famous for his athletic abilities and friendly personality. He was also a part of the school’s football team.
On October 15, 2011, Blake went to the East Coweta High School homecoming dance with his girlfriend, Rion. Afterward, they went to Rion’s house. After spending some time there, Rion’s mother, Shannon, dropped Blake off at his friend Austin’s house at 11:30 PM because Blake intended to stay there for the night. Around 2 or 3 AM, Blake left his friend’s house and started walking towards his girlfriend’s house.
The distance from Austin’s house to Rion’s house was about 3 miles. Around 4:30 AM, Blake arrived at his girlfriend Rion’s house and quietly entered her bedroom window. They spent some time together, and then Rion’s grandmother caught them together when they shouldn’t have been. Around 5 AM, Blake left Rion’s house and started walking towards his friend’s house again, which was about 3 miles away. However, he didn’t reach his friend’s house. Blake was last seen by his girlfriend, and his last message was also sent to her, complaining about the cold weather.
When Blake didn’t reach his friend Austin’s house the next morning, he asked Rion about him because she and her family were the last ones to have seen Blake. However, they also didn’t know where Blake had gone. When Austin, Rion, and Rion’s mother couldn’t find any trace of Blake, they began to worry about him, and they filed a missing person report for him shortly before noon on October 16, 2011.
After the missing person report was filed, the search for Blake began and continued for the next few weeks, but there was no news of Blake. However, two months later, on December 19, 2011, the body of Blake was found by passersby in a secluded creek that runs alongside the driving range of the Summer Golf Club. There was nothing found to identify the body, no clothes he was wearing, no mobile phone, no ID card, and no wallet. The only items found on Blake’s body were his underwear and undershirt.
This case is still ongoing, and so far, no clues have been found about the killer’s whereabouts. However, Blake’s family and friends still remember him as a kind person who always had a smile on his face.
On March 22, 2024, Investigators served search warrants in the Sharpsburg area and collected evidence related to the unsolved murder of Blake Tyler Chappell. The 17-year-old disappeared in 2011 after a school dance and was found shot dead two months later.
While some suspects have been removed from the list of persons of interest, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Det. Marcos Gonzalez or Lt. Chris Robinson at 770-254-2355 or [email protected]. Anonymous information can be sent to CrimeStoppers of Greater Atlanta or called in to CrimeStoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).