Crime & Public Safety

21-year-old Yemassee cold case remains mystery

This artist's rendering shows the possible face of an unidentified woman whose body was found in a Yemassee drainage ditch in 1995.
This artist's rendering shows the possible face of an unidentified woman whose body was found in a Yemassee drainage ditch in 1995. Beaufort County Sheriff's Office

Exactly 21-years after an unidentified woman’s body was found in a Yemassee drainage ditch, investigators are still seeking answers about who strangled her.

The woman’s partially clad body was found May 24, 1995 on Cotton Hall Road, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office news release.

A forensic autopsy revealed she had been strangled to death at a different location within 24 hours before her body was found.

Investigators believe the death grew out of a personal motive and that the suspect was either a boyfriend or husband, the release said.

She was dressed only in underwear with no jewelry or personal effects to help identify the body.

Fingerprints of the victim yielded no match statewide or nationally, the release said. Investigators believe the woman is of Hispanic decent and may have been visiting the U.S.

A reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to an arrest in the case is being offered.

Anyone with information can contact Capt. Bob Bromage at 843-255-3402, robertb@bcgov.net or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CrimeSC.

Caitlin Turner: 843-706-8184, @Cait_E_Turner

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 5:38 PM with the headline "21-year-old Yemassee cold case remains mystery."

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