Scott Kerlin is the Georgia firefighter arrested in March 2025 after allegedly photographing the bodies of twin brothers found dead on Bell Mountain and sharing the images publicly. Kerlin, a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter from Hiawassee, was charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with one count of misdemeanor obstruction and removed from his department for violating protocol.1People. Firefighter Arrested in Case of Twin Brothers Found Dead on Georgia Mountain
What Kerlin Did at the Scene
Kerlin heard a radio call about deaths on Bell Mountain in Towns County and responded. His role as a volunteer firefighter got him past the scene perimeter. Once inside, according to the GBI, he took photographs of the twins’ bodies and shared them publicly.1People. Firefighter Arrested in Case of Twin Brothers Found Dead on Georgia Mountain Officials have not said which platform he used, only that the images were distributed publicly.2Fox 5 Atlanta. Firefighter Arrest in Investigation of Twins’ Death on Bell Mountain
The GBI announced the arrest on March 18, 2025. Kerlin was booked and later bonded out. His fire department removed him for violating its protocol.3Hindustan Times. Who Is Scott Kerlin, Georgia Firefighter Arrested and Fired for Sharing Photos The GBI stated that Kerlin was not a suspect in the twins’ deaths; the arrest relates only to his conduct at the scene afterward.4Atlanta News First. Firefighter Arrested for Taking, Sharing Photos of Twins’ Suspected Murder-Suicide Scene
The Charge
Georgia has no standalone law criminalizing unauthorized scene photography by first responders. Prosecutors charged Kerlin under the state’s general obstruction statute, O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24, which makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly and willfully obstruct or hinder a law enforcement officer in the discharge of official duties. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum fine of $300, with potential jail time on top.5Justia. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24 – Obstructing or Hindering Law Enforcement Officers
No plea, trial date, or final disposition has been publicly reported.
The Deaths He Photographed
On the morning of March 8, 2025, the bodies of 19-year-old identical twins Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were found at the summit of Bell Mountain in Towns County, near the Tennessee border. The brothers had driven from Gwinnett County the previous night, with surveillance footage placing them at a gas station around 10:30 p.m. on March 7.6Atlanta Capital B News. Lewis Twins Bell Mountain Deaths
The GBI initially investigated the case as a possible murder-suicide. On May 21, 2025, the agency ruled the deaths a “suicide-suicide,” concluding from forensic evidence that both brothers fired the weapon found at the scene.7Georgia Bureau of Investigation. GBI Investigates Deaths on Bell Mountain, Towns County The Lewis family initially contested that finding and hired independent investigators and autopsy reviewers; by mid-2026, after those independent reviews reached the same conclusion, the family publicly accepted the ruling.8Fox 5 Atlanta. Bell Mountain Twins Deaths: Family Now Accepts GBI Ruling
Why Georgia Used a General Obstruction Charge
Several states have passed laws aimed squarely at first responders who photograph bodies at crime or accident scenes. California’s “Kobe Bryant Law,” effective January 1, 2021, makes unauthorized scene photos by first responders a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 per violation; it followed revelations that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies had taken and shared photos from the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Bryant and eight others.9CBS News. Kobe Bryant Crash Scene Photos Prompt New California Law10MassLive. Governor Signs Law Banning 1st Responders From Taking Personal Photographs of Crime Victims11NJ.com. New Law Bans First Responders From Posting Photos of Crash Victims
Georgia has no equivalent. That absence is why Kerlin’s alleged conduct, which in several other states would trigger a dedicated statute, instead produced a single misdemeanor obstruction count under a general law written for interference with officers.