(WMBF/YouTube)
A North Carolina man has been extradited to Brunswick County to face a murder charge after investigators discovered his wife’s dismembered remains in plastic containers at his Lake City-area home, according to online jail records and law enforcement officials.
Authorities confirmed that 56-year-old Charles Antwine Jr. was initially charged with desecration of human remains by Florence County deputies after the grisly discovery last month. Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken later identified the remains as belonging to Christie Ward, determining she died from blunt force trauma.
Family members had reported both Antwine and Ward missing about a week earlier from their Brunswick County residence, triggering a multi-county search.
The investigation intensified when a Florence County deputy on routine patrol spotted a submerged vehicle registered to Antwine at the Lynches River boat landing, near Riverside Cemetery. The vehicle was empty, but the license plate led authorities to Antwine’s home on Stillwater Road in Lake City, reports WBTW.
When deputies first visited the property, Antwine was not there. A neighbor suggested he might be at a second residence in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Deputies later returned to the Lake City home while looking for another vehicle tied to Antwine and immediately noticed a strong, unusual odor near an air conditioning unit.
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators entered the residence and made a chilling discovery: Antwine was reportedly seated on a couch inside, surrounded by multiple plastic containers sealed with tape, which held human remains.
The disturbing scene prompted the initial desecration charge while investigators worked to confirm the victim’s identity and cause of death. Once the coroner ruled the death a homicide, Brunswick County authorities issued a murder charge.
On Tuesday, Antwine was extradited to the Brunswick County Detention Center, where he is now being held without bond.
The shocking case has left both the Lake City and Brunswick County communities shaken as investigators continue to piece together what led to Ward’s death and the gruesome aftermath. Authorities have not disclosed a potential motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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