Body found in SC home destroyed by fire. The fire department was never called, cops say

A body was found in a South Carolina home Sunday, nearly 24 hours after the home was discovered burned to the ground, according to officials.

Deputies were called around 3:40 p.m. Saturday to a home on the 100 block of Oakman Drive in Aiken County after someone called and said the home had been destroyed, according to a Sunday news release from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

The caller, who is an acquaintance of the homeowner, came over to check on the owner “only to find the home burned down and the homeowner’s vehicle still at the residence,” the release states.

Forensic investigators came to the scene around 9:20 a.m. Sunday to determine the cause and origin of the fire, the sheriff’s office said. During their search, they found a person dead in the debris of the home.

The Aiken County Coroner’s Office is assisting in the investigation and will identify the deceased after the next of kin is notified.

Sheriff’s investigators say the fire had not been reported, nor were there any signs that a fire department had responded to a call at that address.

It’s still unclear when the fire happened, and investigators are trying to determine that, according to Capt. Eric Abdullah, spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

This story was originally published December 23, 2018 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Body found in SC home destroyed by fire. The fire department was never called, cops say."