SUMTER, S.C. — The Sumter County Coroner's Office says a woman's death a week earlier is now considered a homicide due to new information.
The office released a statement late Saturday night that the unknown nature of 61-year-old Miriam Hardee's death led them to request an autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. That autopsy preliminarily finds that Hardee died by strangulation - and the manner of death was ruled homicide.
The coroner's office said Hardee was found dead in her home in the 2800 block of Ithica Drive on July 9. Family members discovered her body around 8 p.m. that day. The coroner's office is working with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office to investigate the death.
The sheriff's office hasn't shared any information about the case, whether it has identified any suspects or whether investigators believe there is a danger to the general public.
Anyone with information about the homicide can call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or visit CrimeSC.com.