PROSPERITY — Sheriff Lee Foster said there does not appear to be any foul play in the death of 70-year-old Johnny H. Smith, whose body was discovered Tuesday morning.

The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance in locating Smith early Tuesday morning, Smith was last seen dropping off some items on Mountain Drive, in the Columbia area around 7 a.m. Monday.

A few hours after sending out the request for assistance, a Newberry County resident saw the vehicle Smith was last seen driving, a 2008 Chevrolet Express Van, backed into a wooded area in Prosperity.

“We thank everyone for their assistance and believe this is why communication with the public using platform, like Nixle, is so important. We are without question better when we work together,” Foster said.

Foster said they are waiting for results from the autopsy and a final determination for the coroner for the exact cause of death.

Smith
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Missing.jpgSmith

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com