MONKS CORNER — The desperate attempt to find an elderly man missing in Berkeley County came to a close March 22 with the discovery of human remains.
Berkley County sheriff's deputies were called to an area near the site where 87-year-old Jessie Jones wandered away from a disabled vehicle the night of Feb. 9. In the late afternoon of March 22, hunters called the Sheriff's Office after discovering human remains in a wooded area near Sandlapper Lane in Pineville, according to a joint news release from the Sheriff's Office and Coroner Darnell Hartwell.
Hartwell confirmed the identity of the remains at the scene. An autopsy will be scheduled to determine the cause and manner of death.
Sheriff's deputies were called for help the night of Feb. 9 after Jones walked away from the scene where a vehicle he was riding in became stuck. The search started immediately in the area of Sandlapper Lane near S.C. Highway 45 in Pineville. The deputies called in for help in the search that night, according to earlier news releases. Eventually, more officers, firefighters from several rural volunteer departments and State Law Enforcement Division officers joined in the search using ATVs, bloodhounds, grid searches, a drone and a helicopter.
Jones' remains were found in a wooded area that had recently been under several feet of water, according to the sheriff's latest news release. A controlled burn in the area changed the terrain and partially cleared the area where Jones' remains were found.
