Police in the US say a decomposing body found inside a clothing bin had likely been there for months. Officers initially believed the woman may have been seeking shelter from Storm Elliott and died in the bin from exposure.
The corpse was located between a car dealership and a motel in Lugoff, South Carolina, on Saturday morning.
The US east coast state saw temperatures drop to a freezing low of -11C at on Christmas Eve amid the winter blast.
However, Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said: “Unfortunately, it appears the body has possibly been there for months.”
Sheriff Boan told outlets TND/WACH the body was “badly decomposed and mostly skeletal”.
He added there were a number of items found in the bin that seemed to be several years old, including a collection of VHS tapes.
The identity of the victim is unknown at this time.
Sheriff Boan added that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has been called in to process the scene “as if it were a homicide”.
READ MORE: Doctor found frozen to death in pond as US storm leaves 62 dead
While no known cause or manner of death has been determined at this point, the sheriff said they aren’t ruling out anything.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday at 2pm, and may provide additional answers including the identity of the deceased.
According to Coroner David West, his office, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are involved in the investigation.
