NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A man is accused of murdering a missing Georgia woman in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And now, police believe her remains may have been found at a location in DeKalb County.
In general, North Myrtle Beach is part of the Grand Strand along the South Carolina coast. The tourist destination is filled with shops, restaurants, beaches and oceanfront resorts. Many people come to kick back, unwind, and enjoy the family-friendly beaches and, of course, the fresh seafood along the Atlantic Ocean.
The oceanfront city is about 380 miles from Duluth, Georgia. It's where local police were contacted regarding Kristin Laymon's disappearance, who was told that she hadn't been heard from since Sept. 22, 2023.
Then, on Nov. 8, the Duluth Police Department contacted North Myrtle Beach Police regarding Laymon's disappearance. It was believed Laymon was staying at a local resort in the beachfront city.
NMBPD detectives were able to confirm Laymon did travel to their city, and she was also with a man named Bornold Eberhart.
As detectives continued to investigate their whereabouts, they confirmed that Laymon and Eberhart got into some type of argument in the early morning hours of September 23, 2023. Detectives said they were able to confirm that Laymon was last seen entering an elevator at 2:12 a.m. at the resort.
That would be the last time Laymon was seen alive.
The police department said in a news release that they have reason to believe she was murdered that same morning of the interaction but did not elaborate on how they believe she was killed.
However, Eberhart is accused of leaving the area and going to DeKalb County with her body in his vehicle.
More than five months later, on March 3, 2024, NMBP said they gathered enough evidence to get a judge to sign a murder warrant on Eberhart. Dekalb County Police, SWAT and NMBP arrested Eberhart, and he was booked into the Dekalb County Detention Center on a Fugitive from Justice warrant.
On March 8, jail records show he was released, and NMBP said he was extradited to their detention facility, where he was formally charged with murder.
It's unclear how cooperative Eberhart has been, but NMPD said that on March 9, the following day, DeKalb County Police located what is believed to be Laymon's body at the 1800 block of Whitehall Forest Court. DeKalb County Police also confirmed and said they found skeletal remains of a person in the woods of that same address.
NMBPD said they are still awaiting confirmation from the Dekalb County Medical Examiner to positively identify her but have enough information to not only believe it's Laymon but charge Eberhart with murder.
Multiple agencies have been involved in the case, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Newton County Sheriff's Department, SLED, GEMA Body Recovery Team K-9s, the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Horry County Police Department.
The NMBPD has scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon, where more information is expected to be released.