Woman was killed along 17A; ID of body could take weeks

MONCKS CORNER — Berkeley County authorities said a woman whose body was found in the woods near U.S. Highway 17A in Berkeley County on Monday had been slain up to two weeks ago.

Her identity may remain a mystery for the moment, as officials submit DNA samples for testing.

"We definitely know it's a homicide," Deputy Berkeley Coroner George Oliver said Tuesday. "We can't disclose the results of the autopsy at this time because the case is under investigation."

The state of decomposition and lack of other clues at the scene mean authorities will probably need DNA testing to confirm the identity, Coroner Glenn Rhoad said earlier. Oliver said test results could take between a few days and a month.

A bicyclist discovered the remains in some woods between Cypress Gardens and Oakley roads around 9:45 a.m. Monday. Dan Moon, public information officer for the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, said the man had been questioned after the discovery. The following day, Moon could not say how the man fit into the investigation.

The site where the body was found is near the home a 45-year-old woman missing since earlier this month. On May 6, a friend reported seeing Teresa Jo Moore walking along U.S. 17A, also called Live Oak Drive in that area, toward Moncks Corner accompanied by a man on a bicycle. People close to Terry Moore suspect that medicine she took to treat epilepsy may have contributed to her wandering off.

Read more in tomorrow's Post and Courier.