Skeletal remains may date back to 1890s. Now, SC officials seek man’s descendants
Human remains were found near a 19th century fishing village, sparking a lingering mystery in South Carolina.
Now, years after the discovery of the remains, officials are seeking help with finding the man’s descendants, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
“Telling his story and saying his name for the first time in decades are the next step to provide a proper burial for him,” state officials wrote March 13 in a news release.
The case dates to 2017, when Hurricane Irma battered the South Carolina coast with heavy rain and wind. After the storm, skeletal remains were found near a fishing village, “a site of ongoing archaeological research on the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center Heritage Preserve” in present-day Georgetown County, officials wrote.
The remains are believed to be from the 1890s. The man is described as young, with clothes resembling those that fishermen wore in the era, according to FHD Forensics.
The DNA technology company said it’s partnering with South Carolina officials to help identify the man, nicknamed “South Island John Doe.”
If you want to learn whether you’re one of the man’s relatives, you can find more information on the FHD Forensics website. From there, people can sign up to give their DNA samples or share other tips that could solve the mystery.
For the project, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources received research funding and experts created a rendering of the man’s face. The team also welcomed African American and Gullah Geechee people — descendants of those who were enslaved along the coast — to visit to the archaeological site, officials wrote.
“This collaborative archaeological research involves oral history, archival research and DNA analysis to identify descendants,” Jodi Barnes, a historical archaeologist and project leader, said in the state’s news release.
The Georgetown County site is roughly 40 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
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