Remains of young boy, from possibly the 1890s, found in South Carolina, SCDNR says

By Stephanie Moore

Click here for updates on this story

    GEORGETOWN COUNTY, South Carolina (WYFF) — Remains of a young boy, possibly from the 1890s, have been found in Georgetown County, South Carolina and archaeologists are asking for the public’s help in finding his relatives.

S.C. Department of Natural Resources said the remains were discovered near the Fishing Village, a site of ongoing archaeological research on the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve, following Hurricane Irma in 2017, SCDNR said this week.

SCDNR is working with FHS Forensics on this project.

FHS Forensics says archival research identified the area where he was found as a 19th-century fishing village, located between Mosquito Creek and Winyah Bay. FHS Forensics said clothing found with his remains resembled the fishermen shown in this 1915 photograph by Frank G. Tarbox, courtesy of the Georgetown County Digital Library.

SCDNR says that DNA analysis suggests that John Doe had a possible connection to the Bahamas. Researchers said they have isolated a few common families among a handful of matches, including those with the surnames Washington, Deas, and Geddes/Gethers. The matches also suggest he might be related to Georgetown and Charleston families with ties to Florida and Virginia, or other coastal South Carolina locations like Black River and Johns Island.

The department is now seeking older relatives of the matches it has found in order to get closer to John Doe in time.

People interested in participating in DNA testing to learn whether they are related to John Doe should visit the FHD Forensics website .

“One day soon, with the help of the public, we hope we will be able to say his name for the first time in over 100 years,” a release from SCDNR said.

SCDNR says they received an emergency historic preservation grant from the National Park Service and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in 2019 to conduct research and work to identify the remains and provide a proper reburial.

Under the grant, SCDNR hired Dr. Jodi Barnes, a historical archaeologist, to lead the project.

She is working with Dr. Bill Stevens, the Richland County deputy coroner and forensic anthropologist, Kalina Kassadjikova, a Ph.D. student in forensic anthropology and paleogenetics at the University of California Santa Cruz, and FHD Forensics to extract DNA and conduct genetic genealogy research.

“Our team is grateful for the opportunity to help return this young man to his relatives,” said Allison Peacock, president of FHD Forensics.

In addition, Lt. Michael Thacker of the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations and Forensics team helped with the documentation and recovery of the South Island skeletal remains.

Senior Special Agent Deborah Goff, SLED forensic artist, created a facial reconstruction in collaboration with Amie Duke, radiologist tech with Lexington Medical Center Radiology Department, and Summer Decker, director for 3D Clinical Applications at the University of South Florida Health’s Department of Radiology.

Archaeologists have invited representatives from the African American and Gullah Geechee communities to tour the site and participate in the project, including the archaeological lab and fieldwork, oral history, archival research, and the development of educational outreach programs.

SCDNR says the ongoing research not only tells interrelated stories of climate, fishing, and Gullah Geechee life; it has resulted in a larger shoreline survey project documenting Gullah Geechee sites before they are lost to erosion and sea level rise.

“This collaborative archaeological research involves oral history, archival research and DNA analysis to identify descendants,” Barnes said.

SCNR hopes telling his story and saying his name for the first time in decades is the next step to provide a proper burial for him.

People interested in participating in DNA testing to learn whether they are related to him should visit the FHD Forensics website.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.