Person found dead on side of Midlands road; authorities investigating

Police are investigating after a person was found dead on the side of a road in Batesburg.

According to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded at about 2 p.m. Saturday to the 100 block of Holder Road in Batesburg. When the deputies got there, a witness pointed them to a dead body in a nearby tree line.

Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables identified the deceased as Rufus E. Carmichael, 48, of West Columbia. The coroner said the victim had at least one gunshot wound, and there would be an autopsy on Monday.

The sheriff’s office said the death is suspicious and the case is ongoing. Those who have information about the incident are asked to call 803-648-6811.

This story was originally published March 14, 2021 at 8:22 AM.

Chris Trainor

The State

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.