Authorities reportedly now have two “persons of interest” in connection to the slaying of 38 year old Gary Lee Willis – whose body was recovered from a burning car near Geraldine on Tuesday.

Geraldine Police Chief Nelson Gregory – along with members of the Geraldine Fire Department, responded to a report of a vehicle on fire on County Road 135 at around 11:00 that morning; they arrived on the scene to find a badly burned body inside the car, and an autopsy later revealed that the cause of death had been multiple gunshot wounds.

The car was soon traced back to the victim, identified as Gary Lee Willis, who had been reported missing in Etowah County.

DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris told WAFF TV48 that Willis had apparently been involved with dangerous people at the time of his death; its believed Willis was killed somewhere else and the body was dumped in DeKalb County.

Harris went on to say that they have two “persons of interest” in the case and he added that one is already in jail on unrelated charges.

A task force of investigators from DeKalb, Etowah and Marshall counties – are working together on the case.

(WAFF TV48 / DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office)