Remains of body found in Lancaster County SC identified as missing man from late 2021
Bones found by a deer hunter in rural South Carolina have been identified as a Lancaster County man reported missing in November 2021, officials said.
The remains found Dec. 11 near Heath Springs have been identified by deputies and Lancaster County Coroner Karla Knight-Deese as Thomas Edward Hannah Jr., 59, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
A CT scan done with assistance from the Richland County Coroner in Columbia found the remains to be Hannah, officials said.
It is believed Hannah became disoriented due to a medical condition and died from exposure to low temperatures, according to a joint statement from the Lancaster County sheriff’s office and coroner.
Hannah lived nearby, officials said. Heath Springs is south of Lancaster and northeast of Columbia.
Missing since November 2021
Hannah was reported missing to Lancaster County deputies in November 2021 after he was last seen walking near railroad tracks, said Doug Barfield, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. Searchers found some personal items belonging to Hannah in November 2021, Barfield said.
The skeletal remains were found more than a year later near Beaver Creek Road, officials said. Emergency officials found the skeletal remains, a shoe and some clothing, officials said.
Hannah’s family has been told the remains were found and identified, officials said.
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 2:25 PM.
