A body found in a ditch in the Juniper Bay Road area has been identified as missing Conway man, Robert Hudgins, according to Lt. Squires with the Major Crimes Section of the Horry County Police Department.
Hudgins was reported missing to the Horry County Police Department on Sunday March 22. Horry County Robert Edge says the cause of death is drowning. Edge says it appears Hudgins fell in a ditch that contained water. According to Edge, authorities initially thought Hudgins may have been struck by a vehicle, but the autopsy shows no sign of a vehicle hitting Hudgins.
Hudgins was intellectually challenged. His mother Tracy Peele said he is at a Kindergarten learning level and cannot read. Peele said she last saw her son at around 11 p.m. Saturday night
A key road just west of Conway was closed on Thursday afternoon after a resident in the area found the dead body alongside Dunn Shortcut Road near Juniper Bay Road.
A joint investigation was initiated by the Horry County Police Department’s Major Crimes Section and the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s M.A.I.T Team.
The body was found around 3:30 pm on Dunn Shortcut Road, said Lt. Raul Denis of Horry County Police.
The road, which connects Juniper Bay Road with El Bethel Road, was closed as of 5 pm.
Denis told News13 that the SC Highway Patrol accident reconstruction team is on the scene with Horry County Police.
The family of Robert Hudgins has created a gofundme page for people to donate money towards his funeral.
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