Police find unidentified body while searching for USC student who went missing
Police have found a body while searching for a University of South Carolina student who never made it home Saturday night.
The body was found Monday at Vulcan Quarry in Richland County, said Columbia Police Department Captain Earle Marsh. The body has not been identified, but was found while police were searching for a missing person.
Michael Benjamin Keen called his father Saturday night and said he was about to walk home from J’s Corner Restaurant & Bar, according to police. That’s on Rosewood Drive, near the South Carolina State Fairgrounds and Williams-Brice Stadium, where the Gamecocks beat the Auburn Tigers Saturday night.
J’s Corner is about a 3-5 minute walk from Keen’s residence, police said.
Columbia Police Deputy Chief Melron Kelly said officers canvassed in their search for Keen on Sunday, then continued that search on Monday.
Around midday Monday, local police called for State Law Enforcement Division to fly over the area in a helicopter.
“As soon as the pilot got over the area, he saw what he thought was a body at the bottom of the quarry,” Kelly said.
The deputy chief said officers headed to the bottom of the quarry on four-wheelers. Kelly said it was confirmed to be a body in the quarry, but that body was not identified as of 3:52 p.m. Monday.
Kelly noted the quarry is in the unincorporated area of the county, and that the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was in charge of the scene.
Before he went missing, the 22-year-old Keen told his father his cellphone was dying, according to police.
Keen’s father has not heard from his son since that call and reported him missing Sunday, saying he’s concerned for his son’s well-being and safety, according to police.
Police did not say if foul play is suspected in Keen’s disappearance, or if he should be considered in danger.
“He would’ve absolutely contacted us today,” Keen’s mother Janet told The Daily Gamecock. “He calls every day. None of his friends have had any contact with him.”
Police said the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Keen was last seen wearing a green jacket, a polo, jeans, and a baseball cap that said “Cocks.” He had used alcohol, according to an incident report.
Keen is a senior majoring in finance in the Darla Moore School of Business, USC spokesman Jeff Stensland told The State. Keen is scheduled to graduate in December, according to The Daily Gamecock.
Anyone who has seen Keen, or has information about him, is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 11:33 AM.
