Human remains found in barrel floating in lake

CHEROKEE COUNTY, S.C. — An investigation is underway after human remains were found inside a barrel that was floating in Lake Thicketty in Cherokee County, South Carolina.

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The Cherokee County Coroner’s Office was called to Lake Thicketty, which is about 60 miles southwest of Charlotte, on Thursday after Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office deputies located a barrel, according to WSOC.

The barrel was found floating along the lake in South Carolina, according to the news outlet.

The coroner’s office in a statement obtained by WSOC said that deputies found the barrel near the shore and human remains were found inside. The coroner’s office said that the body appeared to have been in the container for a few days.

It is unclear how the remains got into the barrel but investigators believe that foul play was involved, WSPA reported. The death is believed to have happened in Spartanburg County so the case was handed off to Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.

The news outlet reported that according to Cherokee County deputies, Eric Shawn Fetzer, 25, was arrested with destruction or removal of human remains. The sheriff’s office said that more arrests are expected over the next few days but did not elaborate any further.

The name of the victim has not yet been released. The manner and cause of death have also not yet been released.