Oscar Nedd : “South Carolina Cold Case: Mr. X Murder Victim Identified After 50 Years”

They called him Mr. X. In 1975, his body was found in a potter’s field in northern Greenville County, South Carolina. He had been brutally beaten, strangled, wrapped in a sheet, and set on fire. For almost half a century, his true identity remained a mystery.

Recently, Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis announced that Mr. X has been identified as Oscar James Nedd from White Plains, New York. Nedd, a young aspiring journalist, had dreams of going to college and getting married. He saved up $1,500 from working two jobs to pursue his goals.

Nedd was last heard from by his sister Iris Rumph on January 1, 1975. His sudden disappearance raised concerns, and it was later discovered that he had been living in a rooming house in White Plains with his nephew, Joshua Fluellen, who had a troubled past.

Law enforcement officials found blood spatters and evidence of a struggle in Nedd’s apartment after his sister reported him missing. A witness saw Fluellen carrying a large object resembling a human body wrapped in a rug, leading to suspicions of foul play.

Despite initial investigations in South Carolina and New York, the case went cold for decades until former Upstate TV journalist Brad Willis brought attention to it through his podcast “Murder, Etc.” In July 2020, Mr. X’s body was exhumed for DNA testing, leading to the breakthrough in identifying him as Oscar Nedd.

Greenville County investigators were contacted by the White Plains Police Department in February 2024, confirming Nedd’s identity. The case, which had been dormant for years, was finally solved thanks to modern investigative techniques.

Brad Willis expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating that it was essential for old cases like Mr. X’s to receive attention and closure. While justice may not be fully served, Nedd’s family can finally lay him to rest after years of uncertainty.

The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office cold case unit, under Lewis’ leadership, has successfully solved 11 cases, including Mr. X’s. The perseverance of investigators and the collaboration between departments ultimately led to the resolution of this long-standing mystery.

Despite the challenges faced in the investigation, the determination of law enforcement officials and the dedication of individuals like Brad Willis and Austin Avery, the case of Oscar Nedd, also known as Mr. X, has finally been brought to a close.