A South Carolina man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his former roommate, who had been missing for more than two years before her body was discovered buried under a firepit earlier this summer, according to authorities.
Penni Whiteside’s bones were discovered buried in the yard outside her home on June 12 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to a Myrtle Beach Police Department statement. She has been missing since the spring of 2022, when she was 51 years old. According to authorities, neighbors had cause to assume Whiteside was buried under the firepit in the backyard of her home, where 54-year-old Sheridan Dirk Fogle was also living at the time.
“As indicated in the original complaint, the identified victim was living with the offender. According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, further investigation revealed that there was grounds to suspect she was buried near her home, in the backyard under a firepit, based on claims made by her neighbors. “On June 12, 2024, investigators acquired a search warrant for the property at issue. During the search, the victim’s remains were discovered and identified. Authorities were investigating Whiteside’s death as a homicide when, on Thursday morning at around 7:30 a.m., an arrest warrant for Fogle was served in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in connection with a “missing person and murder case.” Fogle was detained in connection with Whiteside’s death on Thursday and charged with murder, according to officials.
“This is a devastating loss of life and an unnecessary act of violence. Please continue to pray for the victim’s family and friends, officials stated. “The Myrtle Beach Police Department is committed to achieving justice and holding those who cause damage accountable. Thank you to the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety and the United States Marshals Service- Carolina’s Regional Fugitive Task Force for their assistance in making this arrest.”
According to ABC News affiliate WPDE in Florence, South Carolina, Fogle appeared in court on Friday, but a judge did not set bond for the suspect. The Myrtle Beach judge did, however, announce that the case against Fogle will be referred to general sessions court, with two subsequent court appearances scheduled for Oct. 25 and Dec. 13. The investigation is still ongoing, and authorities have stated that no other information will be disclosed at this time.
