Police: Sheridan Wahl left Myrtle Beach ‘safely’ prior to body being found in Florence County

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – There are many unanswered questions about the death of a 21-year-old woman who was last seen in Myrtle Beach over the weekend.

On Wednesday night, Sheridan Wahl’s mother posted a statement on Facebook about her daughter’s passing.

“We are heartbroken beyond belief to share the news that our beloved Sheridan Lynne Wahl has passed. Sheridan was our cherished and loving daughter, sister, niece and friend. She will be missed more than words can ever express,” Wahl’s mother said.

She also noted that the case has not been closed yet and there are details that have not been confirmed. Wahl’s mother added that a full statement will be released pending more information.

Wahl’s mother requests privacy at this time but said she appreciates the outpouring of love and support from everyone.

WMBF News continues to reach out to investigators about the case in order to establish a timeline on her time in Myrtle Beach and what led to her body being found behind a fire station in Florence County, about 45 miles away.

WHAT WE HAVE CONFIRMED

According to a police report from the Myrtle Beach Police Department, Wahl had come to Myrtle Beach to visit her father.

She was last seen on Sunday afternoon along Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach when she was trying to rent a scooter from the Rent Me Superstore, the report states.

She was denied service for not wearing shoes and she told her mother on a FaceTime call that she was going to drive back home to Florida, according to the report.

RELATED COVERAGE | Body of missing 21-year-old last seen in Myrtle Beach found in Florence County; SLED investigating

WMBF News spoke with one of the employees of the Rent Me Superstore who confirmed that they provided surveillance video to the Myrtle Beach Police Department.

They added that they’re not certain she was at the store, but that Wahl’s father did come by on Monday to inquire about his daughter’s visit.

The MBPD released a statement late Thursday, saying that an investigation determined Wahl “left our jurisdiction safely.”

Then around 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, her body was discovered behind the Hannah-Salem Friendfield Fire Department on Highway 378 in Pamplico, according to the coroner’s office.

Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye told WMBF News that he spoke with Wahl’s parents the night before her body was found. He could not go into specifics about the phone call.

The Florence County coroner stated that her body won’t be autopsied until Friday, and at this point a cause of death has not been revealed.

Wahl’s roommate created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her memorial service and funeral.

On the GoFundMe page, Wahl’s roommate called her “a person with a pure heart of gold, always trying to make her friends and family feel loved and accepted.”

The University of South Florida confirmed that Wahl was a student there who was majoring in marketing.

WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO FIND OUT

One of the biggest questions surrounding this investigation is how did Wahl end up 45 miles away from Myrtle Beach when she was last seen. We have asked SLED if they could provide information on her car and if it was at the scene in Florence County, but the agency could not comment.

We’ve also asked if there are any persons of interest in the case, but so far SLED is not commenting on that aspect of the investigation.

CASE JURISDICTION

The Myrtle Beach Police Department opened an investigation into her disappearance on Sunday, but the department said that it was revealed that it did not have jurisdiction and the case was handed over to the State Law Enforcement Division.

SLED explained that if a case involves multiple areas and scenes, that can be one of the reasons why a local agency would request that state police take over the missing persons case.

SLED confirmed that it opened its investigation into Wahl’s disappearance on Monday when the Myrtle Beach Police Department handed over the case.

We have filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Myrtle Beach Police Department for any information regarding this case.

WMBF News will be following every development in this case and will bring you updates both on-air and online.

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