Cops pull over driver, discover his passenger is dead, Georgia sheriff says

A routine traffic stop on a Georgia highway revealed the driver was traveling around with a dead man in his car, according to investigators.

It happened Jan. 29, in Lithia Springs, about a 10-mile drive west from Atlanta, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“During the stop, deputies discovered a deceased passenger inside the vehicle along with the driver,” the sheriff’s office said. “The deceased individual has been identified as Malachi A. Mitchell.”

The driver was questioned by detectives, then released “pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.

His identity has not been revealed.

Investigators have also not released details of how Mitchell died or why his body was in the vehicle.

Members of Mitchell’s family said he was shot, and they have launched a social media campaign to get more information from the sheriff’s office.

Mitchell’s mother, Kenya Mitchell, said she doesn’t understand how someone can be carrying around “a dead body and not see one bit of no jail,” WSB-TV reported.

“How do you get to go home,” she told the station.

The driver’s family has faced threats since he was released, resulting in “heightened patrol efforts and surveillance” for their protection, the sheriff’s office said.

“For the integrity of the investigation and safety of the individuals, we do not intend to release any further information at this time,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Once our investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for review and/or prosecution.”