St. Helena man found dead on Lady’s Island identified. His nephew is still missing
A 25-year-old St. Helena Island man has been identified as the man found dead in a Lady’s Island drainage ditch Wednesday afternoon, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The body of Robert Blanding was found off F&B Road around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Robert Blanding was believed to be with his 19-year-old nephew Chaz Blanding early Tuesday evening.
Chaz Blanding has not been seen by his family members since Tuesday and has since been reported missing and endangered, according to the release. The two Blanding men were last seen leaving Chaz Blanding’s home in Beaufort.
An autopsy performed by forensic pathologists is scheduled for Friday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, to make a formal determination on the cause and manner of Robert Blanding’s death, according to the release. The preliminary cause of death is believed to be the gunshot wounds.
The Sheriff’s Office investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information or who may have heard or seen anything suspicious near F&B Road on Lady’s Island on Tuesday night is urged to contact Sgt. Brandon Disbrow at 843-255-3407 or CrimeStoppers 1-888-CrimeSC if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.
Joan McDonough: 843-706-8125, @IPBG_Joan
This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 9:41 AM with the headline "St. Helena man found dead on Lady’s Island identified. His nephew is still missing."