Police Make Arrest After Discovering What Was Inside Barrel Floating on Lake

By Richard Moorhead July 3, 2023 at 5:42am

South Carolina law enforcement has arrested a suspect after discovering human remains in a lake.

The remains were found inside a barrel in Lake Thicketty, according to WHNS-TV.

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and coroner were called to the scene of a boat ramp on Thursday in connection to the partially submerged object.

“Deputies found the barrel near the shore and upon opening it found human remains,” Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said of the situation, according to WFIN-TV.

The radio station also notes that foul play actually is suspected in regards to those human remains.

“Deputies found the barrel near the shore and upon opening it found human remains,” Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler wrote in a news release on Friday.https://t.co/ZyC2iEWzWn

— ABC 13 News – WSET (@ABC13News) July 2, 2023

Fowler added: “It appears the body had been in the container for a number of days.”

Police determined that the remains inside the barrel were those of a person that died in Spartanburg County.

They’ve identified Jeffrey Sutphin, 56, as the deceased.

Sutphin was an amputee who made use of a prosthetic leg, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

He was reported missing on June 15, according to WHNS.

Eric Shawn Fetzer, 25, is facing criminal charges of destruction, desecration or removal of human remains in connection to the barrel.

Man charged after body found in barrel floating in Upstate lake….
Law enforcement in Cherokee County and the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office are investigating after human remains were found in a barrel floating in Lake Thicketty on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/2NvMlbShaU

— Traci Young Fant (@Fantastik1) July 2, 2023

Sheriff Steve Mueller has indicated that his deputies are actively investigating the barrel.

“We’ve still got about four investigators out working, as we speak, running down some leads and some information on this case. It’s developing fairly well,” Mueller said.

The sheriff also noted that the developing case is “part of an ongoing investigation that led us to that area to search and look for human remains.”

Responsibility for the investigation was later transferred from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office to the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Daily Mail.

Deputies are expecting to make additional arrests in connection to the case, according to WFIN.

Fetzer is being held on a $5,000 surety bond, according to The State.

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