Police chief reflects on man found tied up, dead in ransacked home

JACKSON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - We’re learning more about a suspicious death in Aiken County.

We told you Monday a man’s body was found decomposing and tied up in the basement of a home in Jackson. Now we know a neighbor called in for a welfare check after telling officers he smelled an awful odor and hadn’t seen anyone at the home for weeks.

Jackson Police Chief Kevin Liles said when officers showed up, they found an unrecognizable body. He thinks it could’ve been there decomposing for three to four weeks.

Liles says this is not something that happens in a town like Jackson, with fewer than 2,000 people.

“It’s a quiet community, and we patrol this area quite often, and the neighbors know each other,” said Liles.

He says Sunday evening, one of those neighbors called with an unusual tip.

“He smelled something that smelled like a decomposing body,” said Liles.

The neighbor told police he hadn’t seen anyone home for weeks. When police got inside, they say it looked like most of the place had been ransacked. They found burnt documents, a bloody shirt and the decomposing body.

“We knew the resident. We knew the person that lived here from well-being checks in the past,” Liles said.

Liles says one person lived there and he last saw him about a month ago for a well-being check.

“We had met with the owner at the point, and he had made the comment that someone had damaged his door. So we made contact with him at that point and we talked to him then,” he said.

The Aiken County Coroner’s Office says an autopsy will be necessary to confirm who died. While the investigation continues, Liles says the crime-scene tape will be left in place.

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this. They say there is no suspect at this time.

“We’re just gonna maintain the integrity on this until the Sheriff’s Department completes their investigation,” Liles said.

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