South Carolina Man Died While Burying A Woman's Body: Police

TRENTON, SC — A South Carolina man suffered a heart attack and died while he was burying a body in Trenton over the weekend, according to the Edgefield County Sheriff's Office.

Autopsies confirmed Monday that Joseph Anthony McKinnon died of a cardiac event, while Patricia Ruth Dent, found in a freshly dug pit in the same area, died of strangulation, authorities said.

Police said McKinnon, 60, attacked Dent, 65, inside their home, bound her and wrapped her in trash bags before putting her in the pit. While burying Dent, McKinnon suffered a heart attack and died, according to authorities.

A neighbor found McKinnon unresponsive in the back yard at a home on Tanglewood Drive around 10 a.m. Saturday and called police before attempting to revive him, according to a police report obtained by Patch.

Authorities found Dent's wallet and attempted to find her at Mount Vintage Golf Club in North Augusta, South Carolina, where she worked. Dent was not there, and Mount Vintage had listed her as a "no call, no show" and had been unable to contact her. Authorities said they eventually discovered Dent's body in the pit.

Dent was McKinnon's girlfriend and lived at the same home, according to the report.

The neighbor told police the pit had been dug prior to Saturday morning.