Man faces charges as part of search for missing couple

ATLANTA (AP) - Authorities in south Georgia say they've obtained warrants for the arrest of a man as part of their search for a missing Marietta couple.

Bud and June Runion vanished last week after driving across the state to buy a car from a seller they contacted online, authorities said.

Investigators have obtained warrants for 28-year-old Ronnie Adrian "Jay" Towns on charges of giving false statements and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, the Telfair County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. He hasn't been accused of harming the couple.

"We were interested in who last had phone contact with the Runions, and this individual did," Telfair County Sheriff Chris Steverson told WMAZ-TV in Macon. "We interviewed Mr. Towns early on in the investigation and the info he provided did not corroborate with our investigation."

Georgia State Patrol's aviation unit is helping search Telfair and Wheeler counties for Bud and June Runion, Steverson said.

The couple drove to McRae on Thursday to meet someone who responded to an ad Bud Runion placed on Craigslist seeking a 1966 Mustang.