SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — Sumter County deputies are asking for information from the public as they work to identify a human skull discovered by hunters in December.
Deputies say hunters discovered a human skull in the vicinity of St. Paul’s Church Road and Economy Lane in Sumter on December 21, 2023 and contacted the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators learned that a hunter saw a round white object that appeared to be a human skull. Deputies say crime scene investigators processed the area, and the skull was carefully recovered and submitted to the Office of the Coroner.
According to deputies, a forensic examination revealed the skull was that of an African American, who was more than 35 years of age.
Experts believe the skull is more than a decade old.
A careful review of the data of missing persons in Sumter County indicated that none matched the criteria of the skull, according to the deputies. No other human remains were found in the vicinity.
“It is very sobering to discover human remains," Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said. "The person to whom the skull belongs deserves respect and our very best efforts to identify them and bring them justice."
If you have information that may be helpful in this investigation, you are urged to: call 911, call the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at 803-436-2000, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously in any of the following ways:
- Call 888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372).
- Use the P3 Tips mobile app.
- LOG ON to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a Tip” tab.