ID sought for person whose foot was found in shoe
Washed up near Fort Sumter
BY FLEMING SMITH
fsmith@postandcourier.com
CHARLESTON COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE/PROVIDED
Charleston County deputies found a foot inside this shoe, which washed up near Fort Sumter on Oct. 25.
Charleston County authorities are trying to identify the person whose foot washed up in a shoe near Fort Sumter in October. The shoe was recovered on Oct. 25, the Coroner’s Office said. It’s a forest-green running shoe, a men’s size 10, of the “On” brand.
That brand’s running shoes generally sell for around $140-$150 a pair through online retailers.
According to Deputy Coroner Supervisor Brittney Martin, the agency’s forensic anthropologist was unable to determine the person’s age, gender or ethnicity after examining the foot. It’s also not clear how long the foot has been separated from the body, or how long it’s been in the water, Martin said.
DNA from the remains has been submitted for analysis. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Roger Antonio said that without an identification, it’s difficult to investigate. Officials are hoping DNA analysis will yield leads, and they’re researching missing-persons cases in the area.
“It is especially challenging if the remains have been in the ocean, as it expands the area of possibility. Generally on land you have a starting point for a missing person in the area, and that potential subject’s DNA can be compared to the remains,” Antonio said.
The Coroner’s Office said anyone with information on the shoe or foot should contact officials at CharlestonCoroner@charlestoncounty.org.
It’s not the first time Charleston authorities have found a shoe with human remains inside. In 2017, a severed human foot was found inside an Adidas shoe in the Charleston City Marina.
At the time, the Coroner’s Office faced the same difficulties in assigning an age, gender or ethnicity to the remains. But about a week after the foot was found, Charleston County deputies discovered skeletal remains in a marsh area near The Citadel.
Officials were then able to identify the remains as a North Charleston man who had been missing since 2016.
Previous reporting by The Post and Courier on that case did not address how the foot and the rest of the remains were separated.
Reach Fleming Smith at
843-937-5591. Follow her on Twitter at @MFlemingSmith.
Washed up near Fort Sumter
BY FLEMING SMITH
fsmith@postandcourier.com
CHARLESTON COUNTY CORONER’S OFFICE/PROVIDED
Charleston County deputies found a foot inside this shoe, which washed up near Fort Sumter on Oct. 25.
Charleston County authorities are trying to identify the person whose foot washed up in a shoe near Fort Sumter in October. The shoe was recovered on Oct. 25, the Coroner’s Office said. It’s a forest-green running shoe, a men’s size 10, of the “On” brand.
That brand’s running shoes generally sell for around $140-$150 a pair through online retailers.
According to Deputy Coroner Supervisor Brittney Martin, the agency’s forensic anthropologist was unable to determine the person’s age, gender or ethnicity after examining the foot. It’s also not clear how long the foot has been separated from the body, or how long it’s been in the water, Martin said.
DNA from the remains has been submitted for analysis. The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Roger Antonio said that without an identification, it’s difficult to investigate. Officials are hoping DNA analysis will yield leads, and they’re researching missing-persons cases in the area.
“It is especially challenging if the remains have been in the ocean, as it expands the area of possibility. Generally on land you have a starting point for a missing person in the area, and that potential subject’s DNA can be compared to the remains,” Antonio said.
The Coroner’s Office said anyone with information on the shoe or foot should contact officials at CharlestonCoroner@charlestoncounty.org.
It’s not the first time Charleston authorities have found a shoe with human remains inside. In 2017, a severed human foot was found inside an Adidas shoe in the Charleston City Marina.
At the time, the Coroner’s Office faced the same difficulties in assigning an age, gender or ethnicity to the remains. But about a week after the foot was found, Charleston County deputies discovered skeletal remains in a marsh area near The Citadel.
Officials were then able to identify the remains as a North Charleston man who had been missing since 2016.
Previous reporting by The Post and Courier on that case did not address how the foot and the rest of the remains were separated.
Reach Fleming Smith at
843-937-5591. Follow her on Twitter at @MFlemingSmith.
