Body found in secret grave is woman who’s been missing for years, SC coroner says
Neighboring coroner’s offices teamed up to identify human remains that were found hidden in a secret grave in a remote area of South Carolina, according to officials.
The body was identified as Krystal C. Anderson, a 30-year-old Wagener resident who was reported missing in August 2022, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said Wednesday in a news release.
Anderson was a homicide victim who died violently, according to the release.
Anderson’s remains were discovered May 13 in a “clandestine grave” in the 13000 block of S.C. 37, the coroner’s office said. That’s in Blackville in a rural section of Barnwell County.
After discovering the body parts, the Barnwell County Coroner’s Office asked colleagues in Aiken County to assist in an investigation, according to the release. The remains were brought to Aiken County for autopsy and anthropologic studies, the coroner’s office said.
On Wednesday, DNA analysis performed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division on specimens submitted from autopsy were completed and confirmed the remains to be those of Anderson, according to the release. Anthropology studies are ongoing, the coroner’s office said.
Both the Aiken County Coroner’s Office and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office are continuing with the investigation.
Columbia resident Tony Berry was charged with kidnapping and murder in 2022, jail records show. Berry was identified as Anderson’s boyfriend, WACH reported in 2025.
No bond was set for Berry, who is locked up in the Aiken County Detention Center, according to jail records.
Information about a motive for the Anderson’s death was not available.
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Body found in secret grave is woman who’s been missing for years, SC coroner says."
