Coroner Fisher releases cause and county of death in Richland County kidnapping case

Lexington, SC – 04/30/2021 (Paul Kirby) - Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher has released the official cause of death of the Richland County teenager whose body was found between Gilbert and Batesburg/Leesville this week. Fisher had already identified the remains as that of Sanaa Amenhotep who was kidnapped from her Richland County home in early April of this year.

According to Coroner Fisher, an autopsy performed on April 30, 2021 confirmed that Miss Amenhotep had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy concluded that the gunshot wounds were the cause of Miss Amenhotep’s death, which has been ruled a homicide.

Sanaa Amenhotep, 15, of Columbia was abducted from Richland County prior to being killed in Lexington County. She is believed to have been killed April 5, 2021, the day she was abducted.

Because the homicide occurred in this county, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is investigating.