A North Carolina man and his wife were reported missing by family members in mid-June 2025. Sadly, when authorities found them both in South Carolina about a week later, only one of them was still alive. Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye described the home where they discovered both Charles Antwine and his dead wife’s remains.
“It’s something like out of some horror movie,” Joye told Myrtle Beach NBC affiliate WMBF.
Antwine was sitting calmly on the couch with containers around him, and it turned out, the containers were filled with different parts of his wife Christy Ward’s body. What began as a missing person case is now an investigation into Ward’s death.
Antwine has not been charged in Ward’s murder.
Antwine has been charged with the alleged discovery and desecration of human remains, Law and Crime reports. Police have not charged him with her murder as he is currently only considered a suspect. An autopsy of the remains is still pending, Joye told WMBF. Police believe the remains most likely belong to Ward, but are waiting for official confirmation. If that’s the case, Antwine will face additional charges.
A sunken car led police to Antwine.
Police were able to locate Antwine after a deputy was checking the Lynches River boat landing at Riverside Cemetery. He saw the roof of a mostly submerged car. Teams from the fire department, EMS, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recovered the vehicle but no one was inside. The license plate was registered to Antwine, who maintained a South Carolina address.
Deputies went to the home near Lake City to conduct a property check. Even though no one answered the door, they detected an unusual smell coming from the home. They obtained a search warrant and entered the home, where they found Antwine on the couch sitting next to three plastic totes that had been taped shut.
Ward’s son spoke in court.
Later, when Antwine appeared for his bond hearing, he was rolled out in a wheelchair. The sheriff explained he had a broken leg. Christy Ward’s son, Zachary Ward, also appeared at the hearing, giving a heartfelt testimony and pleading for justice. He explained that his mother had overcome so much and had recently lost her father, according to Law and Crime. “Now she’s gone and I’ll never get to see her again and she’ll never get to see any accomplishments I have in life,” he said.
Antwine will appear in court in August.
A judge denied bond, WMBF reported. For now, Antwine is held at the Florence County Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing. Antwine will make his first court appearance on August 19, 2025.
