A South Carolina man, 21-year-old John Lucas Dale Rice, has been charged with murder after he allegedly showed the decomposing, dismembered remains of a man who was last seen in 2021 to a friend.
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As reported by Fox Carolina, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received information regarding Kevin Brookshire, a man who was last seen in Chesnee back in 2021. Missing People in America detailed that Brookshire had traveled to Sevier County on December 15, 2021, but never came back.
Brookshire had been driving a Red Chevrolet S-10 with expired Tennessee tags at the time. The vehicle was then involved in a crash in April 2022. However, the driver at the time was not Brookshire, who was not heard from for almost four years. It all changed, however, on August 22, 2025.
Decomposing Body Found
The aforementioned information came from the Spartanburg County Cold Case Unit, which alleged that a man, Rice, had shown a friend a decomposing body in a trash bag located in the backyard of a Robbs School Road residence.
CCSO deputies arrived at the scene and used cadaver dogs to find the remains. After talking with witnesses and gathering more information through Rice’s social media, authorities eventually found dismembered pieces of Brookshire’s body in multiple locations.
A coroner then identified the remains as Brookshire’s by using forensic tests such as X-rays and reviewing his medical history, Fox Carolina reported.
John Lucas Dale Rice was arrested in Shelby, North Carolina, on September 19. He allegedly confessed to the murder while being interviewed by deputies and was extradited to South Carolina. He is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center without bond on murder charges.
Currently, authorities have yet to provide a cause of death or a motive for the alleged murder. Furthermore, the connection between Brookshield and Rice remains unclear. As per The State, the CCSO stated that the information will not be shared “due to the ongoing investigation.”
Police have asked anyone with information to contact the investigators at 864-489-4722, extension #221. Alternatively, people can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIMESC to provide information.