Remains of 82-year-old missing Sumter man recovered; no foul play suspected, deputies say

The search for a missing 82-year-old man came to a sad conclusion early Wednesday.

According to Mark Bordeaux, public information officer for Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, searchers located the body of Henry Dubose in the woods near Milford Plantation Road and Camp Mac Boykin Road at about 9:30 a.m. on March 12.

Dubose last spoke with his family on Sunday, March 9, at 5:30 p.m. and was last seen at the crossroads of Camp Mac Boykin Road and Milford Plantation Road the morning of Monday, March 10, Bordeaux said. He was reported missing on Tuesday, March 11, and was said to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and dementia, according to the sheriff's office.

That Tuesday night, the sheriff’s office was joined by officers from Department of Natural Resources and South Carolina Forestry Commission to search as well as K-9 teams, and unmanned aerial systems using thermal technology were deployed.

The search continued on Wednesday morning with ATVs, drones, K-9s and SLED helicopters. Searchers found Dubose approximately an hour and a half away from his home in the dense woods, Bordeaux said.

His remains were removed by Sumter County Coroner’s Office, and an autopsy will be conducted at a later date.

The sheriff’s office does not suspect foul play.

“We have been praying and searching using every asset at our disposal, but Mr. Dubose had already passed away,” said Sheriff Anthony Dennis. “The family has lost a loved one, and others have lost a friend. They have our deepest condolences.”