Investigation continues after bodies found in burning car on Purrysburg Road

JASPER CO., SC (WTOC) - The Jasper County Sheriff's Office is asking for your help after officers discovered a burning vehicle on Purrysburg Road on Saturday with two unidentifiable victims inside.

Authorities in Jasper County said they got a call a little before noon on Saturday from a deer hunter on Purrysburg Road who said a vehicle was burning. When officials arrived, they found two bodies inside.

The bodies are past the point of being able to be recognized, and on Monday authorities said they still have many questions unanswered.

It was all but calm on what's normally quiet country road in Hardeeville on Saturday.

"We responded to a car on fire, a burning," said Sheriff Jenkins.

Jenkins said the call came from a deer hunter who stumbled upon the burning vehicle. He said firefighters first put out the fire, but it didn't take long for officers to discover there was more.

"When the officers went up to the vehicle, you know, being burned," Jenkins said. "And you could see that there was, what we believed to be, two bodies in the vehicle."

The bodies were taken to MUSC in Columbia, where they'll be identified. At this time, Jenkins said he doesn't even know the make of the vehicle or the gender of the victims.

He says he's hesitant to say much more, fearing that if he speaks too soon, the wrong families could be informed.

"This is the what-if factor," he said. "What if we're not right and we're knocking on this person's door?"

Once the victims are identified and their families are told, Jenkins insists that investigators from his office, along with officials from South Carolina's Law Enforcement Division, will continue the investigation.

Despite the unfortunate series of events, he said there could be much more to it.

"You just don't stop because, you know, there could be more to this than just a burned vehicle and two bodies in it," Jenkins said. "There is something that took place, and we need to find out what happened and why it happened."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, and Jenkins is asking people to stop spreading rumors on social media before officials identify the victims.

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