GREER, S.C. — A South Carolina coroner says a small collection of human remains found near a shredding machine have been matched by DNA to a missing man.
Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said that his office had been involved in the investigation of Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon's disappearance since the remains found at the Industrial Recycling and Recovery Center in Greer were confirmed to be those of a person.
Clevenger said the remains amounted to what was later confirmed to be human fat, "microscopically minute particles of skin" and small pieces of bone.
A field test at the location initially failed to find that the remains were human due to blood being in extremely dry condition at the scene. However, the blood was later found to be human when they were hydrated and tested at a lab.
Clevenger said he was contacted on June 10 with confirmation that the human DNA found at the scene was that of Gordon.
Spartanburg CBS station WSPA wrote that the man was reported missing on May 5 after he was last seen working an overnight shift at the recycling center. The station also reports that the plant had been checked four inspected four times since Gordon's disappearance - including by his father who is a supervisor at the company.
A sheriff's office patrol supervisor also examined the machine as did investigators and a K-9 specialized in detecting human remains. It was during this search that material was found under the conveyor belt by a detective that was later found to be human.
The coroner's office said that between the time of the man's disappearance and when the first investigator arrived to examine the machine, roughly 60,000 pounds of plastic had been processed.
As such, and with only a small portion of Gordon's remains found, the coroner said that his office is unable to issue a conventional death certificate.
"State regulations require another remedy for the family to get closure because there is no body," he said. "The family has been made aware of the process."
In the meantime, his office has also been in contact with OSHA and the company regarding the incident.
