A South Carolina man has been charged with murder after the remains of the woman who lived with him were allegedly found under a firepit he was “territorial” about outside their home — two years after she vanished, authorities said.
Sheridan Dirk Fogle, 54, was arrested Thursday and charged with the murder of Penni Whiteside, 51 —who local media identified as his girlfriend — after statements made by neighbors led authorities to believe that she may have been buried in the yard outside the home, the Myrtle Beach Police Department said in a statement on Facebook.
Whiteside’s remains were found under a firepit outside of the home she and Fogle shared, authorities said. Facebook / Penni Swisher
Fogle was arrested Thursday after authorities confirmed the remains found in his yard were Whiteside’s. Horry County Sheriffs Office“This is a tragic loss of life and a senseless crime of violence,” the statement said. “Please continue to pray for the family and friends of the victim.”
A search warrant was obtained on June 12 for the Myrtle Beach property, police said. The US Marshals Service and Orangeburg Department of Public Safety assisted police with the warrant, Myrtle Beach Police said.
Fogle was arrested in Orangeburg, about 140 miles west of Myrtle Beach after the Horry County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the remains were Whiteside’s, USA Today reported.
Fogle and Whiteside had a “well-documented history of domestic violence,” according to Fogle’s warrant. Facebook / Penni SwisherFogle had allegedly mentioned burying something in the backyard and would become “territorial of the area when people would approach the firepit,” according to his arrest warrant cited by WMBF News.
Investigators obtained a search warrant on June 12, excavated the firepit and found remains in a wooden box, the outlet reported.
Whiteside had been missing since May 2022 and had been living with Fogle, authorities said.
Fogle and Whiteside had a “well-documented history of domestic violence,” according to the warrant, WMBF News said.
