Missing 58-year-old found dead in woods had likely died days earlier, SC coroner says
Update: The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 17 said an Anderson resident is charged with murder in Bille Jean Cross’ death. Timothy Paul Spencer could face additional charges as the investigation continues, officials said.
Original story: A woman was missing for days before her body was found in the South Carolina woods, officials said.
Billie Jean Cross was 58 years old when she reportedly vanished on Thursday, Dec. 9. She was last heard from that morning and was considered “possibly endangered,” the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post.
Then on Dec. 14, officials said Cross’ body was discovered in a wooded area along Cumming Springs Road. The area is in the town of Starr, roughly 40 miles southwest of Greenville and near the Georgia state line.
“The victim appears to have been deceased for several days,” the Anderson County coroner’s office said in a news release.
The office said it is working with Anderson County deputies to investigate Cross’ death, which was ruled a homicide. The coroner‘s news release didn’t share additional details about the death but said an autopsy is planned for Dec. 16.
Cross lived in the Upstate and last spoke to someone at about 9 a.m. Dec. 9, officials said.
Deputies in Laurens County, where Cross was reported missing, urge anyone with information to call dispatchers at 864-984-2523 or CrimeStoppers at 864-682-7463.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Ms. Cross,” officials said in an updated Facebook post.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Missing 58-year-old found dead in woods had likely died days earlier, SC coroner says."
