Body of 17-year-old found in South Carolina

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Authorities say a body found in South Carolina has been identified as 17-year-old North Carolina girl.

The Herald of Rock Hill reported Monday that York County sheriff's deputies are investigating the death of Heather Marie Catterton of Gastonia, N.C. The cause of death has not been released.

Sheriff's Capt. Jerry Hoffman said the girl's body was found Thursday near Clover off a dirt road, between two large culvert pipes. Authorities say her body was likely there between one and three days.

Hoffman said a family member called after police released photos of her clothing on Friday, asking for help identifying her. Catterton had not been reported missing.

SC authorities look for minimum-security inmate

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Authorities are searching for a 42-year-old inmate who walked away from a minimum security prison in South Carolina.

The state Department of Corrections said in a release that officials realized about 12:30 p.m. Monday that Vernon Edward Gardner was missing from the Coastal Pre-Release Center in Charleston.

He was last seen wearing a tan prison-issued jumpsuit.

Gardner began serving a 7 1/2 year prison sentence in August for violating the state's chop shop law.

SC, GA arrival of 3 injured sea turtles postponed

CHARLESTON, S.C. - South Carolina and Georgia will have to wait a little longer to welcome three endangered sea turtles that were stunned in cold waters off the New England coast.

The South Carolina Aquarium said Monday the arrival of the loggerhead sea turtle and two Kemp's ridleys has been postponed due to poor weather conditions.

The turtles were scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. There is no word on a new arrival date.

Officials said the loggerhead suffered shell damage and will stay at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital until spring. The other two are recuperating from pneumonia and will call the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island home after a brief stay in South Carolina.

Autopsy shows SC man was shot in the head

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. - Authorities say the death of a 20-year-old South Carolina man whose body was discovered over the weekend has been ruled a homicide.

Lexington County Coroner Harry Harman says an autopsy Monday showed James Wilbur Lybrand III of Gilbert died after he was shot once in the head.

Sheriff James Metts says authorities found Lybrand's body early Sunday morning near West Columbia after a woman alerted authorities to a person lying in the road.

Metts says deputies are investigating Lybrand's death.