South Carolina teen missing since December found shot to death off highway

LOBECO, S.C. (WCIV) — Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office says human remains found in Bamberg County on January 22 have been identified as 18-year-old Malik Spencer.

The Lobeco teen was reported missing on December 18, when he disappeared after leaving his home for school. His vehicle was found abandoned in a rural residential area near St. Helena Island on December 21. Beaufort County deputies collected DNA and used it to build a profile.

Deputies say the remains were found in the brush off Highway 78. Bamberg County deputies and SLED processed the scene.

The cause of death was ruled to be murder by gunshot after an autopsy. A DNA analyst at the Beaufort Co. Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identity.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to call Investigator Brian Abell at 843-255-3436 or Crime Stoppers at 843-554-1111.