Skeletal human remains found, suspected to be a missing person, SC sheriff says
A decomposed human body, who police believe is a person missing since June, was found Tuesday in woods in Lancaster County.
A construction crew stumbled upon skeletal human remains near West Manor Drive in Lancaster Tuesday afternoon, a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office news release said. Lancaster deputies along with crime scene investigators and the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office combed the scene and are investigating.
The cause and manner of death are pending autopsy results, the release said, but a preliminary investigation did not detect foul play.
While authorities have yet to confirm the identify of the body, evidence located at the scene suggest the remains belong to Ricky Ray Wright, 66, who was reported missing in June, according to the release.
Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Doug Barfield said Wednesday deputies will continue to work the death investigation.
Lancaster County Coroner Karla Knight-Deese said Wednesday her office has spoken to Wright’s family, and will continue to investigate.
Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said his office as well as the coroner’s office are working to confirm the identity of the remains.
“It appears these are the remains of Ricky Wright,” Faile said in a news release. “If that is correct, we’re sorry our efforts to locate him did not produce a different result, and our condolences are extended to his family and friends.”
Wright, who has been missing since June 11, was last seen near the intersection of Riverside Road and Chester Highway northwest of Lancaster, after requesting a ride to the area, according to a June news release. He has not been seen or heard from since.
The remains were transported to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office.
Reporter Andrew Dys contributed to this story.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 5:03 PM.
