Tree planters find human remains deep in SC woods. Are they linked to a missing woman?
Human remains were found deep in the South Carolina woods, raising speculation about a connection to a missing woman, officials say.
A team was planting trees when it stumbled upon skeletal remains on Monday, the Union County Sheriff’s Office told WYFF and other news outlets.
The crew made the grim discovery in a remote area, more than 2 miles off Jeffries Farm Road in the Upstate town of Jonesville, according to WHNS.
Sheriff David Taylor said the site is “in the middle of nowhere,” and the terrain forced investigators to cut a pathway toward the remains, the station reports.
The finding has some people wondering if the remains are linked to a local disappearance.
Jessica Ashmore, 34, was last seen walking along Jeffries Farm Road in May, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal and other news outlets report. She has “chronic asthma and requires daily medication,” according to a Facebook page created for her.
Now, the missing woman’s mom thinks officials have found her daughter, WSPA reports.
“My stomach just went to the ground,” Angel Ashmore told the station.
Comments on Jessica’s Facebook page also mention a possible connection to the recent discovery.
But the sheriff’s office as of Tuesday said identifying the remains would take time, according to WSPA.
And Taylor earlier this week “would not comment on whether or not the remains are those of Ashmore, saying only that the investigation is continuing,” according to The Union Times.
DNA tests were pending, and an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday, officials told WSPA.
As of Monday, both the cause and manner of death were unknown, WHNS reported.
Jonesville is roughly 18 miles southeast of Spartanburg.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Tree planters find human remains deep in SC woods. Are they linked to a missing woman?."
