South Carolina

South Carolina coroner identifies bones dug up by pet dog

SENECA, S.C. — A South Carolina coroner says the human remains found by a pet dog last month have been identified.

News outlets report the remains were identified as 55-year-old Teresa Marlene Hatchell Sell. She formerly lived in Easley and at one time with her sister in Seneca.

A Saturday report from Oconee County Coroner Karl Addis says South Carolina Law Enforcement Division matched Sell's DNA in a FBI database.

Addis says more tests are being performed to determine Sell's death. An autopsy done last month was inconclusive. Addis still believes Sell most likely died within the past few months but not longer than a year.

The investigation began on June 17 when a pet dog found a human bone in the yard. A broader search uncovered more remains along a creek.