Ala Hassan Sarhan, a refugee from Iraq who arrived in the United States in 1992, was reported missing on July 19, 2000, by his girlfriend. She stated that the last time she saw or heard from him was on July 12, 2000, when he was driving his 1991 Chevrolet Lumina. Sarhan was described as being of Middle Eastern descent and having a left foot prosthesis or brace. Tragically, his case took a grim turn eight years later.
On July 3, 2008, the Charleston County Coroner's Office was alerted by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office about a tip from a criminal informant regarding a possible murder. The informant claimed that Sarhan had been placed in the trunk of his vehicle and pushed off the Wambaw boat landing into the water in McClellanville, South Carolina. Acting on this information, Charleston County divers located a submerged vehicle with a North Carolina license tag registered to Sarhan's Chevrolet Lumina. Upon obtaining a search warrant, skeletal remains were discovered in the trunk of the vehicle.
Despite extensive efforts by the Coroner's Office to locate Sarhan's next-of-kin, they were unsuccessful. Investigators learned that Sarhan had a documented left foot injury, which was confirmed by medical records and previous employers, although his dental records could not be located. The cause of death was determined to be homicidal violence, and the manner of death was classified as homicide. Sarhan's case remains a poignant reminder of the challenges in resolving unclaimed person cases and bringing closure to such tragedies.
Date Found: 07/03/2008
