An SC woman’s body was found in the woods shot to death. Here’s what we know
The body of a 27-year-old York woman who was shot in the head was found Saturday in a wooded area of Laurens County, authorities said.
The body was found near Ekom Beach Road in Laurens County. The coroner identified the victim as Michelle Marie Dodge of York, South Carolina.
She was shot in the back of the head and in the foot, Laurens County Coroner F. G. “Nick” Nichols said. She died about 12 p.m. the day she was found.
Tuesday, Laurens Sheriff Don Reynolds said his investigators were looking for Dodge’s missing vehicle, a 2006 Dodge Charger, and asked the public for help finding the car. The next day, police located the vehicle in Cherokee County, about 70 miles from her body after a person reported seeing the abandoned car.
Cherokee County Sheriff Steven Mueller said police found Dodge’s car around 7:20 p.m. in the woods near Wolf Den Lane, a dirt road in a “very remote area” that dead ends into a nearby river.
While not conclusive, investigators believe a person may have wanted to sink the car in the river or burn it, Mueller said.
Police took the car to Laurens County, where it’s being investigated and held as evidence.
The investigation encompasses three offices: Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and York Police Department.
Since Sunday, York Police Department officers have been speaking with people in their city who knew Dodge in order to put together a timeline of her whereabouts before she disappeared, according to Sgt. Detective Kevin Hoffman. Dodge was never reported missing to county or city authorities.
In 2018, Police arrested Dodge on possession of marijuana and methamphetamine, according to Hoffman. The meth possession charge was her third offense, court records show. She pleaded guilty to charges of possession and forgery. A judge sentenced her to a year imprisonment. It wasn’t clear Wednesday when she got out.
Dodge was born in Greenville, Pennsylvania, her obituary read. Friends and relatives of Dodge, who went by the online alias Michelle Smith, posted memorials of her.
“You were such a beautiful soul,” a person said, another saying, Dodge “was one of kind.”
“You were so sweet (and) friendly,” friend Kassidy Outen posted. “You had a heart of gold.”
She was “a loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend” and “will be truly missed,” her obituary said.
A memorial service for Dodge will be held at Wright Funeral Home at 301 E. Liberty St. in York on Thursday, July 25, at 5 p.m.
This story was originally published July 24, 2019 at 4:43 PM.