Horry County coroner says office is running out of space to store bodies: report
The Horry County Coroner’s Office is running out of space and needs a bigger facility to meet the demands of the county.
Horry County Coroner Robert Edge, who has been on the job for 33 years, told WBTW that he needs more space for bodies.
He told the TV station that population growth is a factor.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I never thought that I would see this many people living here and all the houses being built and people moving in,” Edge said, adding that the county has gone from 125-150 calls per year to around 3,000 this year.
The storage area has space for 16 bodies but only has seven spots open, according to WBTW. Five of the bodies are unclaimed people and four are John Does, unidentified bodies, and will stay there until claimed.
Edge said he’s working with the county to develop a plan, which could mean expanding the building or moving to a new location.
“Between unclaimed people and some that we don’t know who they are, we’re kind of getting maxed out and our ability to hold more people is diminishing everyday or every week with these people,” he said.
Unclaimed bodies can’t be cremated because of a South Carolina law that was passed in 1994 that changed state law to say unidentified bodies must be buried and not cremated.
