Father seeks death declaration for son missing at South Carolina plant

Associated Press
·1 min read
17

The father of a man who disappeared and is now believed to have died in a shredding machine at a South Carolina recycling business is moving to have his son legally declared dead.

The State newspaper reports that Mike Gordon’s lawyer has filed a petition in Spartanburg County Probate Court that would allow a death certificate to be issued for his son, Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon.

The attorney, Charles Hodge, has also filed a claim with the South Carolina Workers Compensation Commission.

Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger never issued a death certificate in the case because Gordon’s body was never found. However, weeks after Gordon was last seen, DNA from human tissue found near a shredding machine at Industrial Recovery and Recycling in Greer was found to match Gordon’s parents.

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Gordon, 20, known as Alex, had been missing since May 5 while he worked the night shift alongside his father, who was a supervisor at the plant.

Alex Gordon left for a meal break and was last seen on top of a shredding machine.

Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Kevin Bobo said Wednesday there is still an active investigation.

In a news release, Clevenger said his office was called on June 10 after tissue found on a conveyor belt by the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s deputies matched the DNA of Gordon’s parents.

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