The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 5

The Index-Journal, Greenwood, S.C., November 7, 1994 5 Marker m. The grave marker of McCormick's mystery man tells little about the man whose entire life seems to have been a mystery. Rice's body was discoverd in McCormick in April of 1993, around 14 months after his apparent death. McCormick's Probate Judge Ronnie Kidd continues to look for heirs to Rice's small fortune. (Staff photo by Jim Long) I ELECT EDITH S.

CHILDS Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1994 Greenwood District 50 Board ot Trustees District 4 Poi Ad fl WALTER RICE ELECTION DAY SALE JULY 6. 1920 FEB. 1992 1 account numbers," says bank Kidd. on all Regular Price Merchandise AND-TAKE 11 on all Red Ticketed Merchandise All Promotional Items.

Easy Spirit Liz Claiborne Handbags Kidd. Rice's final resting place is in a lonely country cemetery not 200 yards from the McCormick County Sheriff's Department. Back at his trailer the yellow police tape that once read "Crime Scene Do Not Cross" now is weathered white and sags and whistles like a kite tail in the Autumn breeze. The secrets of Walter Rice's life rest silently with him, his only heir the stale of South Carolina, his only accquiantance a man who never even met him, Ronnie Kidd. Mystery (Continued from page 1) tcctive work, weak leads, hundreds of phone calls and letters (including a few from some obvious whackos and goldiggers) and being spotlighted on television's Unsolved Mysteries," Kidd is no closer to finding someone who has legal claim to the small fortune.

And time is running out. According to probate law, in February of '95 Rice's money will "escheat" or become die property of the state of South Carolina. Kidd has, however, like a budding Sherlock Holmes, been true to a probate judges' charge to "diligently search for heirs" for the deceased. Me also has strong opinions on what could' ve happened to die 72 year old man he now calls "Uncle Walter." "After two years I feel like I know Walter Rice. From what I've uncovered he kept to himself and when he did come into contact with people he stretched die truth.

It was almost like he created Uiis fantasy world to live in. It's to the point now where I know family tree," says Kidd. As Matlock would say "There are really few hard facts in Rice's case." Walter Rice moved to McCormick from Connecticut in 1990 and bought die lot and the trailer. Rice's body was discovered in his trailer on Oak Street, not half a mile from downtown McCormick, on April 5, 1993. The tricky part, according to die coroner, is that Rice reportedly died of natural causes on Feb.

1, 1992. From here the case starts to sound like a Mystery Movie of the Week. McCormick CPW crews pulled the meter off Rice's trailer on Feb. 13 because his January power bill was not paid, thinking the trailer had been abandoned. "In April, McCormick's City Police Department received an anonymous phone call from a female who said her friend had broken into Rice's trailer and had seen Rice's bodv.

We did find a Culp's Shoes 1415 Montague Street, Greenwood 229 3538 After an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" featuring Kidd aired he received a flood of phone calls and letters. The producers of "Mysteries" sent Kidd a computerized, detailed list of the 600 phone calls it received at its 1-800 number from almost every state in the union and Canada earlier this year. "Lately I've received another flurry of letters and calls. I think they must have aired a rerun of the episode. Some just insist I send them the money.

Some of them get really angry," says Kidd laughing. One persistent caller and writer even sent a badly doctored birth certificate, complete with erasures, trying to prove she was Rice's daughter. "One white man claimed to be a relative till I told him Mr. Rice was a black man. If there is a real heir out there when I talk to them or read their letter it will be as plain as the nose on your face.

With all the exposure this case has received I just don't believe there is anyone out there. Somewhere in all this there should' ve been a relative," says Kidd. Kidd arranged for Rice's burial and used some of the money to buy a grave marker. "I wanted to make sure he had a christian funeral. No one attended except the preacher and die funeral home director," notes TUESDAY ONLY Crosscreek Mall TION DAY Reason 1 to vote for Jennings McAbee: VOTE FOR THE CLOTHING LINGERIE SHOE CLOTHING ACCESSORY OR HOME FASHIONS ITEM OF YOUR CHOICE OPEN TUESDAY 10AM I front window busted out by a chair on the trailer," says Kidd going over the facts like Perry Mason summing up.

"The lady said she just figured someone else would discover Hie body sooner or later. But it began to stay on her mind. When two months passed with no discovery she knew she had to call," adds Kidd. Kidd now believes Quit a Jan. 25 wreck Rice had in Greenwood may be key to cracking the case.

"According to the Greenwood police officer's report, Rice refused to be taken to the hospital. I think he may have had internal injuries that killed him a week later," says Kidd. But what about the MONEY? And who should get it? Kidd notes he collected close to $138,000 from four banks across die Soudieast. "He had a CD in Wilmington, Delaware that was about ready to roll over. There was $10,000 in an individual retirement account in Hartford, Connecticut," notes Kidd.

The oilier bizarre twist in the story is that Rice, born in Abbeville County, was by trade a cook, not (lie kind of occupation that could generate thousands of dollars. "He lived very frugally and saved all his money. He had free room and board at the inn he worked at in Connecticut. He had very little personal items in the trailer. No letters, No Christmas cards.

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