Missing 26-Year-Old Woman’s Body Found

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (PRESS RELEASE) — Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell stated that a woman reported missing has been located.

Ravenell said OCSO investigators have located the body of Tyesha Williams in an unoccupied residence early Monday.

“This unfortunate discovery was made as a result of our investigation that originated from a woman’s body that was reported on I-26 early Saturday,” the sheriff said. “We knew the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety was searching for a missing female. In an effort to determine if the cases were related, we began comparing notes with their investigators.”

Ravenell said the two women have not been connected in any way.

Early Saturday, OCSO investigators were notified of what turned out to be the body of a female near the 153 eastbound mile marker on I-26. At the same time, ODPS investigators had been since Friday actively searching for the 26-year-old Williams, who had been reported as last having been seen a day earlier.

OCSO investigators located a vehicle belonging to 33-year-old Robert Lee Randolph, Jr., who had been named by city investigators as a person of interest in Williams’ disappearance. County and city investigators then located Randolph at a Douglas MacArthur Street residence.

“Although we had determined at that time in the investigation the two cases were not related, we did believe foul play had been a part in Ms. Williams’ disappearance,” Ravenell said. “Our investigators worked on the case around the clock until Ms. Williams was located.”

From that point, OCSO investigators took the case after developing information from interviewing Randolph. That information led to Williams’ body, which was found in an unoccupied Whittaker Street residence around 1:45 a.m. Monday.

Randolph is being detained for further questioning. While he has not been charged with any crime, charges are possible.

Investigators are waiting on autopsy results to determine an official cause of death.

The female victim who was found on I-26 Saturday morning remains unidentified. That investigation is still under way, Ravenell said.