Found Deceased SC - Sheridan Wahl, 21, Myrtle Beach, 19 Sep 2021

[MimosaMornings]

I think she was alone. The trip sounded “off” from the very beginning. Nothing on what precipitated this sudden trip or if there had been any talk or planning of a quick trip to see her dad. Was she planning on blowing off classes the first of the week? It’s not like she didn’t have a beach near her, so why the sudden trip to MB if not to see her dad.
Several things appear chaotic in her actions.
JMO

 

[The Capt]

All of the locals I've talked about it with think it's a very weird case that doesn't make sense. The fire tower is 4ish stories tall. Looks to be in pretty good condition from the road when I'm driving by it.

And keep in mind that the majority of the "crazy local party scene" begins and ends with the tourists coming into MB and doing stupid stuff. If you're not on the boulevard, it's generally pretty quiet, except for a few streets and areas the locals know not to hang out around. I feel like that's most everywhere I've been though.

Also, when it comes to the "wrecked or was at the car and wandered there" theory, it's not impossible, but the land is largely swamp and forest, with one large river to cross that doesn't have many close bridges I know of other than 378. If she followed the road, she would be walking along a likely busy (usually is, but wasn't there at the time so idk) highway in broad daylight for 2-3+ hours without a cop or passing car stopping to check on her or offer help. Which around here would be unlikely. Especially considering the attractive female aspect.

Two months to figure out she fell and died makes me think there's more to it, too.

Oh, and I was about 1/4 mile from where her car was found last week and saw a firetruck responding to something, and it was coming from the opposite direction of where she was found. I don't know much about fire department districting or whatever, but unless they just pick something and go, I would think we were in a separate response area that the one of the VFD where she was found?

 

[The Capt]

This is the tower from the road while I was driving by.

 

[razzledazzle]

Coroner: Sheridan Wahl was dropped off at Pee Dee fire department before her death

...

Based on the coroner’s examination that Wahl’s body was at the fire department for about 18 hours, which means she died around 2:45 p.m. Monday. It still leaves her whereabouts unaccounted for about 24 hours.
...

The coroner explained that there are several types of manners of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural and undetermined.
...

“The reason for the undetermined ruling on my part is there is an amount of time that is unaccounted for regarding Sheridan’s whereabouts or if she was with someone,” von Lutcken explained.
...

The coroner added that there were no phone calls or texts during that unaccounted-for time, but he said investigators do know from witnesses that she was exhibiting unusual or erratic behavior. He revealed to WMBF News that a man picked up Wahl at the scene of the crash off Keith Lane and then dropped her off at the fire department. The coroner added that investigators spoke with the man who gave her a ride and took his statements. No other information was provided on the driver.

 

[TTF14]

Coroner: Sheridan Wahl was dropped off at Pee Dee fire department before her death

...

Based on the coroner’s examination that Wahl’s body was at the fire department for about 18 hours, which means she died around 2:45 p.m. Monday. It still leaves her whereabouts unaccounted for about 24 hours.
...

The coroner explained that there are several types of manners of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural and undetermined.
...

“The reason for the undetermined ruling on my part is there is an amount of time that is unaccounted for regarding Sheridan’s whereabouts or if she was with someone,” von Lutcken explained.
...

The coroner added that there were no phone calls or texts during that unaccounted-for time, but he said investigators do know from witnesses that she was exhibiting unusual or erratic behavior. He revealed to WMBF News that a man picked up Wahl at the scene of the crash off Keith Lane and then dropped her off at the fire department. The coroner added that investigators spoke with the man who gave her a ride and took his statements. No other information was provided on the driver.

What!? She jumped or fell off the tower at the fire department in the middle of the afternoon???? None of this makes any sense. Was her car already torched when this stranger picked her up and took her to the fire station?

Why the trickle of information here??

 

[Italia123]

Coroner: Sheridan Wahl was dropped off at Pee Dee fire department before her death

...

Based on the coroner’s examination that Wahl’s body was at the fire department for about 18 hours, which means she died around 2:45 p.m. Monday. It still leaves her whereabouts unaccounted for about 24 hours.
...

The coroner explained that there are several types of manners of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural and undetermined.
...

“The reason for the undetermined ruling on my part is there is an amount of time that is unaccounted for regarding Sheridan’s whereabouts or if she was with someone,” von Lutcken explained.
...

The coroner added that there were no phone calls or texts during that unaccounted-for time, but he said investigators do know from witnesses that she was exhibiting unusual or erratic behavior. He revealed to WMBF News that a man picked up Wahl at the scene of the crash off Keith Lane and then dropped her off at the fire department. The coroner added that investigators spoke with the man who gave her a ride and took his statements. No other information was provided on the driver.

Did the man kill her, or did he just find her already dead body and decided to drop her off a high tower? Why?

 

[PoppyJune]

What!? She jumped or fell off the tower at the fire department in the middle of the afternoon???? None of this makes any sense. Was her car already torched when this stranger picked her up and took her to the fire station?

Why the trickle of information here??

This article brings more confusion for me on this case. Did the man pick her up while her car was going up in flames? Surely this individual has information as to when he picked her up and why and what happened from there. Was she hitching a ride? Did she call him/know him? Why and when he drop her at the fire station? I have so many questions!

 

[Kittybunny]

Coroner: Sheridan Wahl was dropped off at Pee Dee fire department before her death

...

Based on the coroner’s examination that Wahl’s body was at the fire department for about 18 hours, which means she died around 2:45 p.m. Monday. It still leaves her whereabouts unaccounted for about 24 hours.
...

The coroner explained that there are several types of manners of death: homicide, suicide, accident, natural and undetermined.
...

“The reason for the undetermined ruling on my part is there is an amount of time that is unaccounted for regarding Sheridan’s whereabouts or if she was with someone,” von Lutcken explained.
...

The coroner added that there were no phone calls or texts during that unaccounted-for time, but he said investigators do know from witnesses that she was exhibiting unusual or erratic behavior. He revealed to WMBF News that a man picked up Wahl at the scene of the crash off Keith Lane and then dropped her off at the fire department. The coroner added that investigators spoke with the man who gave her a ride and took his statements. No other information was provided on the driver.

My guess it was a first responder or off duty first responder. Why can't they just tell us whether she requested to be dropped off there, if he told her that's where he was going and she had to find a ride from there, or some other reason! I'm sure they know. This is ridiculously frustrating.

 

[Mert]

Is the Pee Dee fire dept a different location than the tower? I thought it had possibly been previously said that the location with the tower was not a regularly staffed station.

I wonder if she was corresponding with or involved with a firefighter in the area and was distressed and acting out to attract his attention…?

My opinions and thoughts.

*She was found at the station in Pamplico.

 

[Detectivediva]

The conversation regarding the autopsy led me to research. Whenever possible, I usually offer that if someone finds the link to purchase the autopsy... I'll buy it and post it here for our analysis. Unfortunately doesn't look like that will happen.

South Carolina...

"As a consequence of the death of stock car racer Dale Earnhardt, legislation was adopted to preclude access to autopsy photographs and similar materials. . §§ 17-5-535 and 30-4-40(a)(18). The Sumter County Coroner denied a request by The Item newspaper for access to an autopsy report on grounds that it was a medical record and restricted by HIPAA, neither position seems to be supported by anything other than the imagination of the Coroner. The Coroner’s denial resulted in litigation which was appealed to the South Carolina Supreme Court who held that autopsy reports are medical records and thus exempted from the definition of a public record under SC FOIA. Perry v. Bullock, 409 S.C. 137, 761 S.E.2d 251 (S.C. 2014). "

Source: A. Autopsy and coroners reports Archives - The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

If I'm wrong and someone finds a link to purchase the official report...the offer stands.

 

[branmuffin]

The fire tower is a little taller than I originally thought. I thought it was about 20 feet high but judging by the image recently posted it is definitely closer to about 30 feet which would incur more significant injuries if you fell from it. However, just because she was found at the base of the tower was there other types of evidence that she fell? Like indentations in the earth, etc. I know vertical injuries can appear much different than horizontal injuries but from a relatively small height and depending on whether a person fell feet first, head first or on their back or front could mimic injuries occurred from a vehicle accident.

It's obvious that LE are not suspicious of the individual who drove SW to the Fire Station. I do have questions though. Was the time the person dropped her off there verified? Was the time before or after the neighbour called 911 to report the fire? Did the mystery driver mention whether SW sustained any injuries? Was she behaving erratically? Because as far as I can see if a random driver just happened to see SW on the road that means she also walked about 1500 feet to the road from where the vehicle was found. Or was the driver from one of the homes on the lane previously mentioned awhile back with the keep off and beware of dog signs.

There is still so much not divulged. I know the parents have both made mention of mental health issues. I don't know if there was any evidence prior to her disappearance if this was a known issue.

 

[TTF14]

Anyone know if the family is accepting all of this or demanding more info?

 

[scriabina]

This article has a tiny bit more info:

"Sheridan Wahl...was dropped off at a fire station before her death due to “erratic” behavior, according to Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken.

"Wahl, 21, was dropped off at the Hannah-Salem Friendfield Fire Department along Highway 378 by a man who picked her up near Keith Lane, where her crashed car was found burned. Lutcken couldn’t go into detail about what the behavior was, but told News13 investigators tracked down a witness who told them that.

...

"He also said there were only minor signs of external injuries and most of the injuries were internal due to a fall."


Perhaps the person who picked her up saw the car crash site/fire and called the fire dept (hence the very quick discovery of the car). Maybe she was acting "erratic" because she had a head injury from the crash, so the person dropped her off at the fire station? You'd think this person wouldn't have just left her alone at the station, though. So I'm guessing she was left with a fire station employee and someone dropped the ball and at some point she was left alone, at which point she climbed up that tower and somehow fell.

Maybe that's why they are being so vague with the info -- they don't want to thrust any responsibility/guilt upon a fire station employee/firefighter.

 

[evilwise]

It's nice for some more information to be revealed but it's still weird as hell. She was picked up at the corn field while her car was on fire and the person who picked her up called the fire department and dropped her off at the fire station. All that seems reasonable but then she was just unaccounted for four 24 hours before taking to her death.

Is weird but I think @scriabina is probably right on the money. I bet they let her pass out on a couch or something there at the station without necessarily running her through the system (she may have been uncommunicative and had no ID) then she slipped away and fell or jumped off the tower onto a blind side of it.

I'm thinking now that she was irrational and expressing suicidal ideation to her mom on the FaceTime call. How heartbreaking that her mom was desperately trying to find her while she was probably still alive and in the hands of public servants but she still ended up dead. Maybe if she had been a little less beautiful they would have sent her off to the hospital, not that it would have guaranteed a different ultimate outcome I guess.

 

[distracted]

This article has a tiny bit more info:

"Sheridan Wahl...was dropped off at a fire station before her death due to “erratic” behavior, according to Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken.

"Wahl, 21, was dropped off at the Hannah-Salem Friendfield Fire Department along Highway 378 by a man who picked her up near Keith Lane, where her crashed car was found burned. Lutcken couldn’t go into detail about what the behavior was, but told News13 investigators tracked down a witness who told them that.

...

"He also said there were only minor signs of external injuries and most of the injuries were internal due to a fall."


Perhaps the person who picked her up saw the car crash site/fire and called the fire dept (hence the very quick discovery of the car). Maybe she was acting "erratic" because she had a head injury from the crash, so the person dropped her off at the fire station? You'd think this person wouldn't have just left her alone at the station, though. So I'm guessing she was left with a fire station employee and someone dropped the ball and at some point she was left alone, at which point she climbed up that tower and somehow fell.

Maybe that's why they are being so vague with the info -- they don't want to thrust any responsibility/guilt upon a fire station employee/firefighter.

The problem is that the car was reported to be on fire within a short time afterwards and the call was responded to by the Florence County Sheriff's department. That still leaves close to TWO days before she was found at the training tower. What happened between the time the car was reported to be on fire until she was picked up and taken to the fire station?

Also, the training tower is 45 MILES away from where her car was found!

I'm skeptical of what's been released so far so I'm glad that more information is coming out, hopefully because others aren't buying this story either.

 

[scriabina]

The problem is that the car was reported to be on fire within a short time afterwards and the call was responded to by the Florence County Sheriff's department. That still leaves close to TWO days before she was found at the training tower. What happened between the time the car was reported to be on fire until she was picked up and taken to the fire station?

Also, the training tower is 45 MILES away from where her car was found!

I'm skeptical of what's been released so far so I'm glad that more information is coming out, hopefully because others aren't buying this story either.

Hm, the article I posted stated her body was found 10 miles from the car crash site. Where did you see 45 miles?

This article also states "Lutcken said Wahl’s body was at the base of the tower for approximately 18 hours." I'm guessing he's extrapolating based on the state of the body and how long she was estimated to have been deceased.

September 19th -- the day her car crashed -- was a Sunday. Maybe there were not many employees at that fire station on a Sunday, or few administrators work that day? Was it the main fire station or just a training site like some has mentioned here? I'm unclear on that. Perhaps it's not a heavily trafficked area? Or maybe when she was dropped off and at some point left alone, she wandered around confused for some time, only to return hours later and fall.

 

[Bubba Smith]

Why didn't the man that dropped her off at the fire station call authorities and tell them she was there. Was the person that dropped her off the same person that called in the car fire? Also, on the page it saysa man was seen running from the car. Hmmm...I think he is a suspect.

 

[distracted]

Hm, the article I posted stated her body was found 10 miles from the car crash site. Where did you see 45 miles?

This article also states "Lutcken said Wahl’s body was at the base of the tower for approximately 18 hours." I'm guessing he's extrapolating based on the state of the body and how long she was estimated to have been deceased.

September 19th -- the day her car crashed -- was a Sunday. Maybe there were not many employees at that fire station on a Sunday, or few administrators work that day? Was it the main fire station or just a training site like some has mentioned here? I'm unclear on that. Perhaps it's not a heavily trafficked area? Or maybe when she was dropped off and at some point left alone, she wandered around confused for some time, only to return hours later and fall.

My apologies, this is what I was referring to -

"Her body was discovered behind the Hanna-Salem Fire Department on Highway 378 in Pamplico, according to Lutcken. That's nearly 45 miles from where she was originally reported missing."

TIMELINE: What we know about missing woman found dead behind Florence Co. fire department

 

[evilwise]

Doesn't the new article say that the person who picked her up called the fire department? Maybe they told him to bring her to the station but he took her to the wrong one? There are two fire stations there with the same name.

 

[branmuffin]

It was a woman who called the fire department not a man. She was a neighbor. If SW was exhibiting erratic behavior why didn't the man take her to a hospital or at least check to see the fire station was manned before leaving her there. It all sounds so tragic and her death so unnecessary.