Human tissue found at Greer recycling plant prompts SC OSHA investigation into missing man

The South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Agency has been called in to investigate the disappearance of a man who was working on top of a shredding machine at a Greer recycling center where human tissue was found on a conveyor belt.

The material matched the DNA of the parents of Duncan Alexander Burrell Gordon. He had not been seen since the early morning hours of May 5 as he worked the night shift at Industrial Recovery and Recycling in Greer.

In mid-June, the Spartanburg County Coroner’s office opened an investigation after the results of the tissue sample confirmed the match.

Coroner Rusty Cleavenger could not be reached for comment Wednesday on what his investigation has found. Earlier this month, he said his office had hired a forensic anthropologist, but would not reveal the name of the company.

At the time, Cleavenger said it was still a missing person’s case because a body had not been found.

Sources said the substance found on the conveyor belt looked like ground up flesh and filled a plastic bag.

Jason Hoag, president of Industrial Recovery and Recycling, could not be reached for comment.

Lesia Shannon Kudelka, spokesperson for the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation confirmed SC OSHA was investigating.

Gordon went for a meal break just before midnight and was last seen on top of a machine capable of shredding metal. The Greer company processes waste materials that include plastics.

No one saw him leave and his phone and debit card have not been used since.

Gordon’s father Michael Gordon works for the same company. He declined to comment on the investigation.

The privately owned company located on 27 acres is just off Interstate 85 between Greenville and Spartanburg. It was founded in 1987 and recycles plastics that are reused in various manufacturing plants. It reprocesses polyester and polypropylene waste materials such as non-woven, film, and fiber.

Records from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration show one safety complaint against the company in 2017 involving refuse systems. A $500 fine was levied.