BLYTHEWOOD – Richland County Coroner Gary Watts Wednesday afternoon identified the human remains found near Blythewood Sunday morning as those of Stanaland Keith Dixon, 51, of 11143 Wilson Road. Dixon had been missing since June 28.
Deputies searching for Dixon discovered the badly decomposed body Sunday morning deep in a wooded area off I-77, just south of town. Lt. Curtis Wilson of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said the body had apparently been there for some time and was in a state of advanced decomposition, making immediate identification difficult.
On Wednesday, Watts said dental records were used to identify the remains as those of Dixon. An autopsy performed on Tuesday showed no signs of trauma, Watts said; however, final toxicology reports are still pending and may not be completed for several weeks. Watts said the death will likely be ruled natural or accidental once all testing is complete.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Dixon was last seen riding with a friend off-road in a pickup truck underneath the power lines off I-77 on June 28. When the truck became mired in mud, Dixon elected to walk back to Blythewood for assistance. He had not been seen or heard from since, the Sheriff’s Department said.
