Woman shot, found in trunk recovering

Margaret Gooding (Source: HCSO)

WALTERBORO, SC (WTOC/WCSC) - A Miley, South Carolina woman who investigators say was kidnapped after someone broke into her home, is recovering in the hospital.

Hampton County sheriff's deputies say 78-year-old Margaret Gooding was found shot but alive in the trunk of her car in Walterboro, about 25 miles away from her home around 4pm Monday.

See Missing woman found alive in trunk.

She had been missing since 1:30am Monday when investigators say she was taken from her home.

The victim's brother-in-law Oddis Gooding, didn't think she would be found alive.

Investigators say around 1am, a neighbor called Oddis saying he heard gunshots coming from the house.

Oddis called police and that's what started the search for Gooding.

It ended more than twelve hours later in Walterboro when Harold Groves noticed a strange white Buick parked near his business.

"I didn't think much of it until I started to leave the office around 3pm," said Groves. "I said, 'I need to stop and check this car out before I go any further.'"

So Groves called 911.

"I was hearing somebody talking when I was talking to 911. I was looking around to see who was talking and I couldn't find anybody," Groves said.

Within minutes, police arrived and surrounded the car.

"One of the officers said she's in the trunk," said Groves. "And so they opened the trunk and there she was. She was alive."

Gooding was alive, but she had been shot in the stomach. She was taken to MUSC in Charleston.

Family members tell us she's out of surgery and is set to go home Wednesday.

"Thank the Lord she's alive," Groves said.

The Hampton County Sheriff's Office says it is looking at several persons of interest in the case.