MILTON, Ga. — A quiet Georgia suburb was shaken Friday when authorities recovered a body from a neighborhood pond that they believe is 27-year-old Nathan Murray Smith, known in the music world as DJ Young Slade. Smith had been missing since early Tuesday morning, sending shockwaves through his community and the music scene.
Police and rescue crews from the Cherokee County Fire Department pulled the body from a pond in Mayfield Park just before noon on Friday. It sat only a short distance from Smith’s home near Baldwin Drive and Mayfield Road — the same area where he was last seen on Tuesday around 6 a.m., according to Milton Police.
Milton officers had issued a missing persons alert after Smith left his house early that morning without his phone. Family, friends, and law enforcement feared for his safety, noting that he may have been disoriented. In the days that followed, the search grew intense, with dive teams, K-9 units, and specialized bloodhounds scouring parks, woods, and nearby water.
At the pond Friday, divers located what police believe is Smith’s body around 11:53 a.m. While official identification is still pending confirmation from the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office, authorities said there were no immediate signs of foul play. The investigation remains active as the examiner’s office determines the cause and manner of death.
Smith was more than a missing person to those who knew him. The son of Atlanta rapper and producer Lil Jon — whose real name is Jonathan Smith — he had been building his own career as a DJ, producer, and artist. Friends and family described him as kind, passionate, and deeply connected to his craft.
In a heartfelt statement, Lil Jon spoke of his son with raw emotion, calling Nathan “the kindest human being you would ever meet.” He thanked the community and search teams for their efforts and asked for privacy as his family processes their loss. Smith’s mother, Nicole Smith, shared in the grief, emphasizing how deeply loved her son was.
Neighbors in the usually peaceful Mayfield Park area said they had watched the search unfold, offering support wherever they could. What began as a worried call from family turned into a full-scale search, ending in the sobering discovery at a place that had become familiar ground during those tense days.
The Milton Police Department continues to treat the case as open and active, but at this stage there is no indication of foul play. Authorities say they will release further details once the Fulton County Medical Examiner completes its review and confirms identity and cause of death.
