Husband reported missing found dead on a tractor — shot in the back, SC coroner says
A missing man was found slumped over a tractor’s steering wheel after he’d been shot to death in South Carolina, officials said.
Danny Andrew Smith, 62, died after he was shot in the back, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.
Smith’s wife reported him missing Wednesday night near Westminster after she couldn’t reach him, according to WSPA. He reportedly had been using a tractor for “bush hogging,” a process used to clear fields.
Smith’s wife said she had heard the tractor and saw it in the woods, officials told the TV station.
After Smith was reported missing, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office said he was found unresponsive on a tractor, with the engine still running, according to WYFF.
“Investigators along with the coroner’s office are calling the death a homicide and found Smith had died from a single gunshot wound to the body,” TV station reported.
Deputies said they don’t know if a stray bullet killed Smith, according to news outlets. Officials reportedly asked neighbors if they heard gunshots from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday near Coffee Road, roughly 50 miles west of Greenville.
The investigation was ongoing as of Thursday, and officials urge anyone with information to call 864-638-4111, WHNS reported.
The Oconee County Coroner’s Office and sheriff’s office didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for information on Friday.
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