Latest news with #RichHarvey
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tourists find skeletal remains that may be linked to 1800s burial site
Tourists in South Carolina made a gruesome discovery while exploring an island off the state's coast last week, officials said. The tourists were in Jeremy Cay, a beachfront part of Edisto Island, when they found what they at first believed to be fossils — only to realize they had discovered human remains, officials said in a news release. The tourists, who have not been identified, then called the Colleton County Sheriff's Office and the Edisto Beach Police Department. Officials secured the scene, then launched an investigation. Early indications from the investigation "suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site," the Colleton County Sheriff's Office said. The remains were found in an area that had once been known as Edingsville Beach, the sheriff's office said. During the 19th century, Edingsville Beach was a settlement of about 60 homes, according to the Edisto Island website. The area was a popular vacation destination for wealthy Southern families, with homes overlooking the sea and a nearby marsh. There were also several churches, a schoolhouse and other communal buildings. But over the decades, weather and erosion took their toll, and by the time the Civil War began in 1861, the settlement and the rest of the island were mostly uninhabited. In 1885, a massive storm destroyed most of the homes there. The remaining structures were demolished when another hurricane hit the area in 1893. The newly-found remains were recovered by the Colleton County Coroner's Office. They have been transported to the Medical University of South Carolina for forensic analysis and identification. The sheriff's office said it is working with the coroner's office and other agencies to "determine more about the remains and their origin." Colleton County coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek that the remains included a skull and several separated bones. They might date back to the Revolutionary or Civil War, he said. Bones have previously been found on the island, officials said. In 2015, a Pennsylvania tourist found several bones near the northern part of the island. Shortly afterwards, a former ranger visiting the island found a skull with some teeth still attached. That skull was dated to between 1865 and 1870, officials said. Broken tools, china and building materials from the settlement's heyday have also been known to wash up in Jeremy Cay, according to an essay shared by the Jeremy Cay Homeowner's Association. Last week, skeletal remains found on New Jersey beaches were identified as those of a 19th-century schooner captain. SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Brooklyn shop celebrates Mexican culture by supporting local artisans Original "Hamilton" cast to reunite at Tony Awards as show marks 10th anniversary
New York Post
29-05-2025
- New York Post
Tourists make chilling discovery on South Carolina beach that may be linked to centuries-old burial site
A casual stroll on a South Carolina island took a chilling turn when a group of tourists uncovered what they believed were fossils – only to discover they had unearthed centuries-old human remains. The haunting discovery was made Friday on Edisto Island – a historic site that was once home to the 19th-century settlement of Edingsville Beach, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. 'Early indications suggest the remains may originate from a long forgotten burial site,' officials said. Tourists found the human remains Friday on Edisto Island. Alisha – The remains – which include a skull and a scattering of separated bones – were collected from the beach destination and will now undergo forensic analysis to determine their origin and age, county coroner Rich Harvey told Newsweek. 'The remains are going to be taken to a forensic anthropologist,' Harvey said, adding that it's unclear how long it will take to unlock the mystery behind the bones. Remains were previously discovered on the island — which was once home to convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh — in 2015 when a tourist spotted bones protruding from the mud. Not long after, a former park ranger uncovered a skull with teeth still intact, according to the Edisto Island website. Scientists determined the bones — one of them a cow skeleton — dated back to 1865 and 1870. The ancient settlement was established in 1825 and once served as a fashionable summer retreat for Charleston's elite. It was made up of 60 tabby and brick homes with ocean-facing verandas, churches, a school, boathouses and a billiard saloon. The remains were reportedly collected from the beach and will now undergo forensic analysis. Laura – The settlement's existence was short-lived, as coastal erosion and the disruptions of the Civil War took their toll, the website stated. The final blow came when two catastrophic hurricanes — in 1885 and 1893 — destroyed what little remained of the once-bustling community.
