The father of Quinton Ray was arrested Monday on charges he helped conceal the death of Sueann Ray, whose body was discovered February 8.
Twenty-six-year-old Sueann Ray, a former resident of Pickens County and mother of a six-year-old daughter, was last seen on August 26 in Jasper. Quinton Ray, 27, of Pickens County is charged with murder.
On Monday a Pickens County grand jury indicted Harold Danny Ray, of Ball Ground on charges that he helped his son conceal the death by helping hide the body and giving a ride to Quinton after he left the victim's car at the Wal Mart parking lot in Canton.
Count five of the indictment charges Harold Ray with "concealing the death of another" because he was involved with moving the body. The indictment stated the father "hindered the discovery of whether or not such person was unlawfully killed by removing the body of Sueann Ray from the residence of the accused Quinton Walter Ray located in Pickens County, Georgia, transported the body of Sueann Ray to property located near Cherokee Gold Trail in Cherokee County and then buried said body in a clandestine manner."
An indictment against Harold Ray was issued around noon and he was booked into the Pickens jail later that day. He was arrested by GBI agents, who had arrested his son following an extensive undercover investigation earlier this month.
The charges against the father include concealing the death of another, hindering the apprehension of a criminal, and tampering with evidence.
District Attorney Joe Hendricks said it is believed the father helped his son move Sueann's minivan to the Wal Mart parking lot, where it was found after she had been reported missing.
The District Attorney declined to offer any further information on what role the father may have played in hiding the body.
According to previous stories about the case, Sueann had come to Jasper, from her home in Woodstock on August 26 to have Quinton perform work on her minivan.
The indictment issued by the grand jury stated on August 26 or August 27 Harold Ray drove Quinton Ray home from Canton after Quinton Ray had transported a 1998 Ford Winstar Mini-Van belonging to Sueann Ray from his residence in Pickens County to the Wal Mart parking lot.
The indictment states, the father knew or had reasonable grounds to believe his son had committed a murder and intentionally hindered the apprehension by his actions.
Hendricks said the owner of the property where the body was found had recently purchased it with plans to build a house and is not suspected to be connected in any way.
Hendricks commended the GBI agents involved for exceptional, intensive investigation involving many hours of overtime in finding the body and making the arrests.
The father and son are both in Pickens County jail, but do not have contact with each other, according to Major Allen Wigington. He said the younger Ray is classified as a "high felony" and in maximum security and the elder is in a separate unit.
The grand jury on Monday also issued formal indictments in Quinton Ray's case. Ray was formally charged with malice murder and felony murder. The malice murder indictment stated Quinton Walter Ray "with malice afterthought, caused the death of Sueann Ray, a human being, the exact cause of death not known to the Grand Jury."