Extreme tragedy can strike anywhere

It’s incomprehensible that the life of a young man just beginning his journey would be snatched away from his future, yet, we see or hear about it almost everyday. Sometimes it’s due to an automobile accident or some other misfortune. What we don’t hear about daily, at least in this part of Middle Georgia, is a life being taken by a victim’s peers and — possibly — his friends.

Though still early in the investigation, we know Sam Poss, who graduated from Perry High School on May 24, was 18 years old and was looking to join the U.S. Navy at the time of his death. He was thought to be headed home barefoot from a friend’s house on Tucker Road to his home on Frank Satterfield Road along a half-mile wooded trail.

Dakota White, 17, of Perry, and Brandon Warren, 18, of Houston County, are charged with his murder. The circumstances surrounding his murder are yet to be discovered or released, but after a three-day search of a 200-acre wooded area involving his parents, a Georgia State Patrol helicopter, Crisp County blood hounds, Perry Police and Dooly County law enforcement, a special team of firefighters trained in search and rescue and about 30 of Poss’ friends, Poss’ body was found in the woods in the Lake Joy area, which is about 7 miles from Poss’ home.

The condolences of the Middle Georgia community go out to all of the families involved but particularly to the Poss family. The ordeal they are going through is unimaginable. No one touched by this tragedy will ever be the same.

It does remind us that no matter where we live — from the urban streets of a major city to the rural areas far from the big city — there is nowhere to hide from evil or unforeseen occurrences. We should never miss an opportunity to tell the people close to us how much we love them because the opportunity might be our last.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Extreme tragedy can strike anywhere."