Poetic Justice? South Carolina Man Drops Dead While Burying Girlfriend He Strangled

Editor’s Note: Our readers responded strongly to this story when it originally ran; we’re reposting it here in case you missed it.

When a neighbor in Trenton, 🌴South Carolina, found 60-year-old Joseph McKinnon unresponsive on the ground in his backyard, he had no idea the story that was about to be uncovered.

The neighbor performed CPR on McKinnon — to no avail — and called 911. When first responders arrived, McKinnon was confirmed dead.

But there was more. McKinnon lived at the home with his girlfriend, 65-year-old Patricia Dent, who hadn’t shown up for work.

There was also a suspicious, fresh hole in the backyard, and when authorities investigated, they found Dent’s body wrapped up in trash bags.

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“Evidence gathered at the scene, along with statements from witnesses aided investigators to build a timeline, leading us to believe that Mr. McKinnon attacked Ms. Dent while inside their home,” Sheriff Jody Rowland and Coroner David Burnett of Edgefield County said in a joint statement, according to NPR.

“Mr. McKinnon then bound her and wrapped her in trash bags before putting her in the previously dug pit. The pit was then partially filled in by Mr. McKinnon.