Former Chattooga County Sheriff Gary McConnell passed away on Monday evening.  Sheriff McConnell was elected sheriff in 1967 when he was just 22-years-old, making him the youngest-serving sheriff in Georgia history.  McConnell succeeded his father as sheriff in Chattooga County.

In over twenty-years  as sheriff in Chattooga County McConnell chased moonshiners and investigated 13 capital murders in Chattooga County. Those included the infamous Corpswood murders and investigating a murder committed by Judith Ann Neelley.  In the early 1990’s he was appointed by Governor Zell Miller as head of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.  McConnell oversaw security for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and supervised close to 30,000 law enforcement personnel.  McConnell stayed on as GEMA Director during Governor Roy Barnes’ one term in office.

Governor Barnes told WZQZ News on Monday evening, “Gary McConnell was a giant both physically and in his service.  He was a legendary lawman and served two governors as director of GEMA.  We should all be thankful for his service.”

When he left GEMA he went to work for Innovative Emergency Management out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Following 9/11, McConnell was in charge of reviewing federally-mandated emergency plans for every state east of the Mississippi. In his consultant role, McConnell was also involved in the response to Hurricane Katrina.

WZQZ will have more information on funeral arrangements as they become available.