Human remains found in S.C. man’s home after missing persons report in N.C., deputies say

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — A missing persons report out of North Carolina led to a Lake City man’s arrest on a charge of desecration of human remains, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Charles Antwine Jr., 56, was arrested Sunday and booked into the Florence County Detention Center. He remains in jail as of early Monday afternoon without bond.

Relatives of Christy Thomas Ward and Antwine reported them missing from their Brunswick County, North Carolina, home last week, according to the sheriff’s office. On Saturday, a Florence County sheriff’s deputy checking the Lynches River boat landing at Riverside Cemetery spotted what appeared to be the roof of a mostly submerged vehicle.

Fire, EMS, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene and recovered the vehicle, which was unoccupied, the sheriff’s office said. The South Carolina license plate on the vehicle was registered to Antwine, who has an address on Stillwater Road near Lake City.

When deputies checked his property, they noticed an unusual smell coming from inside, and there was no response to their knocks, according to the sheriff’s office. A search warrant was conducted and Antwine was found sitting on a couch, while there were human remains in plastic containers that were taped shut.

Antwine was taken into custody at the scene. Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken has ordered an autopsy of the remains at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible. Count on News13 for updates.