SILVERSTREET — The skeletal remains of a Silverstreet man who had been missing since November 2016 were found Wednesday afternoon in a dense hardwood tree thicket about a quarter of a mile from his home.
Sheriff Lee Foster said the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office was working with the State Law Enforcement Division on Wednesday afternoon in Silverstreet when they spotted clothing on the ground that was consistent with the clothes Donnie Richardson was reportedly wearing.
Richardson, 60, of 71 Lake St. in Silverstreet, was last seen walking down Lake Street toward Main Street in Silverstreet just after 10 p.m. Nov. 26, 2016, when he left his home after his family went to sleep. Richardson suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia and had wandered away from home before.
“While this is certainly not the ending to this investigation we hoped for, at least now the family can have closure,” Foster said. “Our deepest sympathy goes out to this family and we will continue to have them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece has requested an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death but foul play is not suspected, the sheriff said.
Kneece also will work to make positive forensic identification of the body through scientific evidence using DNA. That process can take several weeks.
Foster said Wednesday’s search, which included a SLED helicopter, was part of an ongoing search for Richardson and that law enforcement had made ground searches, flown the area with the helicopter, used bloodhounds, and a cadaver dog in the area prior to Wednesday.
Foster said they decided to return since the canopies of most of the trees were gone, making it easier to spot something on the ground.
Foster said the family had also made numerous searches in the area prior to Wednesday.
“I would also say that the continuous follow up investigations by the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office is what makes our agency so special,” said Foster. “No case is considered closed until it is solved. The spirit of dedication and service is evident in every person in our agency.”
Leave a Reply