28 Years Later, Investigators Still Seeking Justice for 11-Year-Old Levi Frady

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. — The cold case that inspired Georgia’s “Levi’s Call” alert system remains unsolved nearly three decades later.

It has been 28 years since 11-year-old Levi Frady was abducted and murdered, yet investigators say they are still determined to find answers in one of North Georgia’s most heartbreaking cold cases.

Levi disappeared on October 22, 1997, while riding his bicycle home from a friend’s house along Little Mill Road in Forsyth County. His body was found the next day in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, a remote, wooded stretch of land just across the county line in Dawson County.

Authorities said Levi had been shot multiple times. His bicycle was later recovered, though investigators have never disclosed exactly where or how it was found.

The case shocked Georgia and drew national attention, but despite decades of work by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, no suspect has ever been identified.

“This case has never been closed,” said a GBI spokesperson. “Our agents continue to follow every lead, reexamine evidence, and seek the public’s help in finding out who took Levi’s life.”

Investigators believe two men seen in the area at the time may have information that could help solve the case.

• Witness 1: A white male in his late 50s, with a scruffy gray beard and faded blue baseball cap, was seen walking along Little Mill Road around 6:30 p.m. the night Levi vanished.

• Witness 2: A white male, 45–55 years old, about 6 feet tall with gray or white hair, possibly driving a medium-blue Toyota pickup (1980–1985 model) with a white camper shell in the Dawson Forest area.

The GBI says identifying these individuals remains a top priority, even if only to confirm what they saw that evening.

Despite the challenges, Levi’s death led to a major statewide change: the creation of “Levi’s Call,” Georgia’s version of the AMBER Alert system, which helps law enforcement quickly share information about missing children. Since its launch, it has helped safely recover numerous abducted children across the state.

Call for New Information

As the 28th anniversary of Levi’s death passes, investigators are renewing their plea for tips.

Anyone with information about Levi Frady’s murder or the identity of the potential witnesses in the sketches is urged to contact the GBI Cleveland Regional Investigative Office at 706-348-4866 or the GBI Tip Line at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).

“After all these years, someone out there knows the truth,” investigators said. “Even a small piece of information could finally bring justice for Levi and closure for his family.”