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Man with dementia, center of statewide search found dead in Lee County

The search began in mid-February.

LYNCHBURG, S.C. — A man with dementia missing from the South Carolina Lowcountry for weeks has been found dead in Lee County.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said a concerned resident found 81-year-old Martin Raffone's vehicle on a remote dirt road in Lynchburg on Saturday. Law enforcement found his body near the car.

Raffone was the subject of an endangered person notification from South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and a statewide search since mid-February.

SLED activated the endangered person alert on Feb. 20 when Raffone first went missing. He was last seen around 1 a.m. that day in Okatie. SLED agents also joined the search and assisted Beaufort County in its investigation. 

The agency announced on Sunday morning that Raffone had died. Beaufort County investigators said the Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

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