A North Augusta woman missing for nearly two months was found Tuesday afternoon. But instead of bringing closure, her strange explanation has only deepened the mystery.
Susan Rhodes, 65, resurfaced at a residence in Edgefield County on Tuesday, nearly eight weeks after she vanished following a car crash. According to police, Rhodes told investigators she had been swept away by a fast-moving creek, lost her pants and shoes, was fed bread and water by strangers, and was eventually dropped off by an unknown man in a black truck.
But police say her story doesn’t add up.
According to investigators with the North Augusta Department of Public Safety (NADPS) and Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, Rhodes fabricated the entire account. Authorities now believe she intentionally fled the scene of a hit-and-run accident on June 11 to avoid prosecution, sparking a multi-agency search operation based on false pretenses.
“A Creek, A Root, and Bread and Water”
When officers finally found Rhodes, she was sitting on the couch at a home on Big Oak Drive in Edgefield County. The homeowner had called police, alarmed that Rhodes had unexpectedly shown up inside her home after returning from a doctor’s appointment.
When deputies entered the house — with permission from the homeowner — they found Rhodes hiding in the bathroom. Her voice was faint and she appeared confused, but she offered a surreal version of what happened.
She claimed she had fled into the woods after a crash, ended up in a creek that turned into a fast-moving river, and had to cling to a root to avoid drowning. Rhodes said she lost her shoes and pants in the water, and was eventually picked up by an elderly couple who took her in, fed her, and sheltered her — though she couldn’t say where they lived. Days later, she said, a man in a black truck dropped her off somewhere near Thomson, Ga., from where she eventually made her way back to Edgefield County.
While EMS transported her to the hospital for evaluation due to apparent disorientation and possible memory issues, officers concluded that her story “made very little sense,” and was not supported by any evidence.
What Really Happened, According to Police
The investigation began on June 11, when witnesses called 911 about an erratic driver on Gregory Lake Road, just past Gregory Landing Drive. A witness, Joshua Lawson, told police he had been driving behind a Chevrolet Malibu that was swerving, crossing the yellow line repeatedly.
Just moments later, the Malibu veered off the road entirely, entered a ditch, then came back onto the road and sideswiped a Toyota SUV on the passenger side before running off the road again.
Lawson and another witness, Carl Walther, helped the driver — described as an elderly white female with an arm in a sling — out of the Malibu. She appeared dazed and disoriented. Then, without warning, she walked away from the crash scene and disappeared down a nearby driveway.
Responding officers found an open Bud Light can on the floorboard of the vehicle. Efforts to locate the driver — later identified as Susan Rhodes — began immediately, with help from Edgefield County deputies, Aiken County deputies, and SLED.
A Code Red Alert was issued and Rhodes was entered into NCIC as a missing person. Drones, search dogs, and helicopters were deployed, but heavy rain hindered the search. That night, the operation was suspended without locating her.
A Medical Emergency — or a Deliberate Disappearance?
Initial concerns that Rhodes may have been suffering a medical episode seemed supported when her roommate told authorities that Rhodes had been complaining of stroke-like symptoms earlier that day. At one point, Rhodes spoke to her roommate by phone during the search but sounded confused and hung up before officers could trace the call.
Behind the scenes, however, investigators began to question the nature of her disappearance.
When she was finally found, her bizarre creek-and-cabin story only heightened their suspicions. Detectives determined that Rhodes had fled the scene of the accident in an apparent attempt to avoid criminal charges, and had been in hiding ever since.
Charges Filed
On August 6, Sgt. Aubuchon with NADPS obtained an arrest warrant for hit and run – attended vehicle with property damage. Two additional warrants — for reckless driving and open container of beer in a vehicle — were expected to follow.
As of Thursday, Rhodes had not yet been taken into custody, pending medical evaluation at the hospital. Her name has been removed from the national missing persons database, and police say the case is now transitioning from a recovery effort to a criminal prosecution.
