A body found in a donation bin in South Carolina has been identified as a 47-year-old woman who was reported missing in March of last year.
Lesley Lemoine, of Lugoff, South Carolina, was identified after an autopsy was performed on Wednesday, according to the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.
The body was discovered by a passerby who noticed a bad smell coming from the box on New Year’s Eve morning.
Lemoine’s family has been notified, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
Authorities said the cause of death was not revealed by the autopsy, but lab work is pending.
“We will continue to investigate this as a suspicious death,” the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office said. “Please keep Lesley’s family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Lemoine moved to Kershaw County in 1989, according to her obituary. She was described as “funny, charismatic,” and a “free spirit that loved Jesus and having a good time.”
Lemoine’s daughter, 25-year-old Hannah Gates, has been posting to social media in hopes of finding her mom, according to The Post and Courier.
“They told me VHS tapes were underneath her, so this had not been checked in a really long time,” Gates told the newspaper. “It makes me mad.”
Gates told the paper investigators are trying to figure out how she got in the bin. Lemoine was addicted to drugs and could have died from an overdose, Gates said, adding that investigators are waiting on toxicology reports.
She last saw Lemoine on March 29, 2022, after Lemoine was released from jail for acting aggressively during a visit to her mother’s house. After being released, Gates said she drove Lemoine to a McDonald’s in Lugoff.
The two weren’t on good terms, Gates told the paper.
Gates was used to her mom, who was homeless, disappearing from long stretches, and she reported her missing months after she had last seen her.
“I wish I was more uplifting. … I wish I said ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m here for you,’ “ Gates said. “I wish I could’ve told her she was more than what she was.”
The family has a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs for Lemoine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
