Sad end to search for missing South Carolina man as coroner says remains were found
The years-long search for a South Carolina resident has ended, as the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office said that human remains found in a wooded area belong to the missing man.
Kenneth Ray Hughes was confirmed dead, Coroner Sonny Cox said Wednesday in a news release.
Hughes was 28 years old when he was last seen on Nov. 16, 2022, according to the release. Three days later, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office publicly reported Hughes missing.
On Nov. 19, 2022, the sheriff’s office said Hughes was last seen walking into the woods in the area near Ridge Road and Rush Road in Hodges.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office located several skeletal remains in a wooded area by Ridge Road and Eagles Harbor Drive, according to the release. That’s a half mile from where Hughes was last seen.
Deputies said they responded to a call from workers who were planting trees in the area after they discovered the remains, WHNS reported.
Information about Hughes’ cause of death was not available, and his time of death was called unknown by the coroner’s office. There was no word if foul play was suspected.
Ridge Road was listed as Hughes’ place of death, according to the coroner’s office.
When he was reported missing, the sheriff’s office did not say if Hughes was alone when he was last seen.
Helicopters, drones and police dogs were used to look for Hughes, a search that covered land and water, the Greenwood Index-Journal reported in 2023. Hughes’ body was found about a mile from the Saluda River.
Among other family members, Hughes is survived by a son who was 6 years old when Hughes was reported missing, WYFF reported.
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