Man whose body was found in woods not far from road is identified by SC coroner
A body was found Sunday in a wooded area of South Carolina, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The body was discovered at about 3:30 p.m. near U.S. 15, between Loman Road and Timmerman Street, not far from the line separating Sumter County and Clarendon County, the sheriff’s office said.
The Sumter County Coroner’s Office said 31-year-old Sumter native Howard Alexander Hodge is the man whose body was found in the woods about a 100 yards from the road.
Dogs belonging to an area resident alerted their owner to the body’s presence, and both the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office responded, according to officials.
Coroner Robbie Baker said it appears Hodge’s body had been outside, exposed to high temperatures, for several days — at least — before it was found.
The coroner’s office told The State that Hodge’s manner of death doesn’t appear to be the result of a homicide, but an autopsy scheduled for Thursday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston should determine if foul play or trauma was involved, according to Baker.
Results from toxicology tests are also pending to determine if drug use was a factor in the death of the man that Baker said was homeless.
Both the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office are continuing to investigate the death.
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This story was originally published July 29, 2024 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Man whose body was found in woods not far from road is identified by SC coroner."
