Attempted Bank Robbery Case Closed Following Discovery of Murder Victim

Treutlen County Sheriff Tommy Corbin said Friday that a call to his office from the GBI confirming the identity of a murder victim led to closing an attempted bank robbery case in Soperton. The GBI positively identified a body discovered December 23 by a crew demolishing a house in Vidalia as Zyuan Caesar, 17, of Vidalia. The teenager had been reported missing on December 17 and the GBI joined local authorities in seeking his whereabouts. Corbin said Caesar was believed to be the suspect in the December 9 attempted bank robbery in Soperton and warrants had been issued for his arrest on December 22. continued from page

Corbin said that law enforcement had determined that Caesar was the suspect who entered a Soperton bank and gave the teller a note saying he had a gun and that she had 30 seconds to turn over the money. The teller activated the silent alarm and the suspect left the bank without money. No one was physically injured in the incident. No other suspects were identified in the incident and the bank robbery case has therefore been closed.

Lindsey Wilkes of the GBI’s Eastman office, who is working with Vidalia Police in the investigation of Caesar’s death as a homicide, said the teenager was positively identified by dental records. Authorities are actively conducting interviews and pursuing leads in the case.