Who was Sheridan Wahl? Missing Florida woman, 21, found dead in South Carolina
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: A 21-year-old Florida woman, Sheridan Wahl, was found dead in South Carolina two days after she went missing. Wahl, who had gone to Myrtle Beach to visit her father, never made it home. Her mother wrote a desperate post on Facebook, urging people to help find her.
“Please help me find my daughter. Last seen at 300 S. Ocean in Myrtle Beach. We haven’t heard from her since 1p and her phone is not picking up,” Kelly DeArment Wahl wrote on September 20. “She could have been driving back from Myrtle Beach to Tampa. Let let me know if anyone has seen her. Otherwise please pray she comes home to us safely!”
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After she learned about her daughter's death, Kelly updated the post, saying, "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. Please note that the case has yet to be closed – and details have not been confirmed. A full statement will be released pending more information. In the meantime, the family graciously requests that their privacy be respected and deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support from all."
On September 21, Wahl's body was found behind a fire station in Pamplico, SC, 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach. The cause of death is yet to be determined.
In the aftermath of Gabby Petito's death
This incident comes amid the manhunt for Brian Laundrie, whose girlfriend Gabby Petito was killed while the two were on a trip. Laundrie's whereabouts are currently unknown. A friend of Gabby Petito has said that Brian Laundrie has wilderness survival skills that he could use to evade arrest.
The search for Laundrie entered its second week on Saturday, September 25. “We’re looking through wooded areas, we’re looking through bodies of water, we’re looking through swampy areas,” North Port Police Commander Joe Fussell said on Friday, September 24. “We have air units, we have drones, we have the swamp buggies, airboats, multiple law enforcement agencies, we have ATVs, we have UTVs and we have officers on foot as well.”
Meanwhile, a prominent Florida attorney has put a $20,000 bounty on Brian Laundrie. Laundrie is a person of interest in the death of Petito whose remains were found Sunday in Wyoming. While Petito's death was ruled a homicide, the specific cause of death is still pending final autopsy results. Laundrie's parents have been slammed for remaining tight-lipped with police. As the nationwide manhunt for Laundrie continues, the Internet also accused his parents of lying he was at their Florida home to buy him more time to escape.