Cause of death released for cleaner found dead in Belk bathroom stall

The Lexington County coroner released the results of an autopsy performed on the janitor found dead inside the Columbiana Centre mall.

In a statement Thursday, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher announced that Bessie Durham had died of natural causes.

The results “show no indication of foul play,” according to a statement from the coroner’s office.

Durham, 63, died on Sept. 15 in a locked family bathroom stall at the Belk store in the Columbiana mall. Her body wasn’t found until four days after her death.

A forensic autopsy was performed on Sept. 22 by the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Durham’s death is still being investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office.

“We are actively working to piece together what happened,” Belk spokeswoman Jessica Rohlik said in a statement. “We send our deepest condolences to the family of Bessie Durham.”

Ted Clifford

The State

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Ted Clifford is the statewide accountability reporter at The State Newspaper. Formerly the crime and courts reporter, he has covered the Murdaugh saga, state and federal court, as well as criminal justice and public safety in the Midlands and across South Carolina. He is the recipient of the 2023 award for best beat reporting by the South Carolina Press Association.