Missing woman's remains found
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

VERLISHIA LITTLEJOHN

The body of a Gaffney woman missing since late November was discovered Friday afternoon at a dam near the Broad River Electric Hydro Plant.

The remains of Verlishia Littlejohn, 25, of 321 Springwood Drive, Lot A, were discovered on Cherokee Falls Road at 1:30 p.m. by Broad River Electric workers, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.

Littlejohn was last seen by family members Nov. 28 around 9 p.m. She failed to report for work to begin her 10:30 p.m. shift at the Charles Lea Center in Spartanburg where she was employed as a care worker with people who have disabilities.

Dental records were used to identify Littlejohn during an autopsy performed Saturday morning in Newberry. The cause of death remains unknown.

Littlejohn drove a dark green 2000 Ford Taurus. The car has not been found.

"The cause of Littlejohn's death is pending additional investigative information that must be obtained, including toxicology test results, the location of Miss Littlejohn's vehicle and her medical history," Fowler said.

Workers were performing routine maintenance when they discovered Littlejohn's body.

Fowler estimated Littlejohn's body had been in the water between three and four weeks.

"The body was entangled in large tree brush that washed over the dam over the past week during heavy rains that caused the river to rise," Fowler said.

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office personnel, the coroner's office and CKC Fire Department firefighters worked for more than four hours to free the body from the debris.