Police in South Carolina stumbled upon a grisly find in a clothing donation bin in Kershaw County on New Year’s Eve — a partially mummified body.
A man alerted police after noticing a strong odor emanating from the bin, and when they arrived at the scene, he reported he’d found what appeared to be a human leg inside, according to the Post and Courier. Deputies used bolt cutters to remove the lock on the bin door and found what Kershaw County Coroner David West described as the “partially mummified” remains of an adult woman, the Post and Courier reported. (RELATED: Construction Workers Discover Body In Wall Of Former Convention Center, Police Confirm)
West told the outlet that due to the woman’s condition, it is possible she could have been in that storage bin for months, possibly since spring 2022. West added that he would test the victim’s DNA to see if it matched that of a woman who was reported missing in the area, though he did not specify the name of the missing person, the Post and Courier reported.
A man called the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, saying he smelled a strong odor when he passing by a donation bin located in a parking lot of a hotel just outside Camden. https://t.co/Wgzp7OmYD1
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) January 2, 2023
West originally believed the woman might have died while using the donation bin for shelter but thought otherwise when he concluded the remains were too decomposed to be those of someone who had died recently, according to WIS News.
“The donation bin had likely not been emptied in many years,” West told the outlet.
An autopsy is scheduled for Jan. 3 and Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan assured the public that no stone will be left unturned.
“I can assure you that your KCSO and coroner’s office investigators are thoroughly working this suspicious death. We will know more facts as the investigation moves forward. It is very early in the investigation. We are NOT ruling out anything at this time,” he told WIS News.