Executive Summary
- Cloe’ Laine Williams, missing since February 2024, has been confirmed dead by homicide.
- Remains found in March 2025 off Highway 4 were identified via autopsy in September.
- The cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound.
- Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell is appealing to the public for tips.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell announced on Thursday that the death of 23-year-old Cloe’ Laine Williams has been officially classified as a homicide, nearly two years after she was first reported missing. The announcement follows the completion of forensic examinations on remains discovered in March 2025.
Williams, a resident of Neeses, South Carolina, was reported missing in February 2024. According to the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, investigators located human remains on March 13, 2025, in an area off Highway 4. An autopsy, which was concluded in late September, positively identified the remains as Williams and determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound.
Sheriff Ravenell indicated that the investigation has now shifted focus to identifying those responsible. “Since this young lady’s discovery has been labeled a murder investigation, we’re asking anyone with any information to please call us,” Ravenell stated during a press briefing. “It doesn’t matter how small or remote the tip may be.”
Authorities have not released further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the discovery or whether there are specific persons of interest. The Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone with information to contact investigators at 803-534-3550, emphasizing that tipsters may remain anonymous.
Investigative Outlook
The transition from a missing person inquiry to a homicide investigation after a significant passage of time presents distinct forensic challenges for law enforcement. When remains are discovered months or years after a disappearance, the degradation of physical evidence often requires investigators to rely more heavily on digital footprints, witness statements, and community tips to reconstruct the timeline of events. The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office is currently focusing on generating new leads to overcome the evidentiary gaps created by the delay in discovery.
