The Macon outreach program was one of three finalists for the award. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to reports. A hunter discovered the burned truck Thursday. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found the body inside the truck. The body and truck were burned beyond recognition.
Officials believe the fire occurred earlier in the day.
An official with the GBI office in Eastman said Wednesday that the agency is waiting for positive identification on the body, but officials believe it is Gooch. The Georgia Secretary of State's Office still plans to turn an election investigation involving a Twiggs County commissioner over to a local prosecutor. At a State Election Board hearing last month, an investigator with the Secretary of State's Office said Commissioner Tommie Lee Bryant may have violated state law by hand-delivering and filling in absentee ballots for others. At the time, the board said Dublin Circuit District Attorney Ralph Walke would be asked to look into the case and determine if criminal charges are warranted. Possible charges against Bryant include unlawful possession of absentee ballots, repeat voting and intimidation of electors, according to the State Election Board hearing.