By Alexa Jurado
The State
LAKE VIEW, S.C. — The search for a missing South Carolina paramedic came to a “tragic” end after her car was found in New Mexico and her body was recovered Friday evening, a case that a law enforcement official called “heinous.”
Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52, was last seen at her home on Wildwood Loop in Marion on Tuesday, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Family reported her missing to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday evening.
On Friday morning, New Mexico State Police contacted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division to tell them that Machado-Fore’s car had been involved in the murder of one of their officers, officials said.
Authorities worked across the country to find Machado-Fore and identify the driver of her car, officials said. Information learned in an investigation led law enforcement officers to a property outside of Lake View in Dillon County, where they found Machado-Fore’s body just after 6 p.m. on Friday.
Federal, state and local officials are continuing to investigate the “heinous crime,” the sheriff’s office said.
New Mexico State Police have identified the driver of Machado-Fore’s care as Jaremy Smith of Marion, and have issued warrants for the murder of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare.
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace extended his gratitude to those assisting in the case, which his office called “far from over.”
“Mrs. Fore was one of us, a fellow first responder. Her death is senseless,” Wallace said in a statement. “Our community has suffered a tremendous loss. My team and I will not stop until we bring the person or persons responsible for her death to justice.”
The Dillon County Coroner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Machado-Fore on Monday.
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