SBI investigating discovery of human remains in Columbus County

TABOR CITY, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office after human remains were found in Tabor City, officials said.

The remains were discovered by family members of Ervin Johnson, who was last seen on Feb. 13, according to a news release from the SBI. The body was located on Bermuda Bay Lane.

The sheriff’s office says Johnson was last seen walking outside at approximately 3:00 AM on February 13 without any belongings, as if meeting someone briefly. Johnson’s mother was the last person to see or speak to Johnson before leaving. All personal items, including a phone, ID card, and bank cards, were left behind.

Agents from the SBI’s Coastal District and the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office are investigating. The remains have been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing, and no further details are available at this time.