Deputies said the original report involved two masked gunmen at a home in the Gantt area.
GREENVILLE, SC — A reported kidnapping in Greenville County was deemed unfounded Monday after deputies said a man who had been reported taken by two masked gunmen from a home was found safe.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office first said deputies were searching for the man after a late-night call from the Gantt area. The case drew attention because the first report described armed suspects, masks and a woman escaping from the home to call 911. Within hours, investigators said the person reported missing had been safely located and that the original kidnapping report was “unfounded.”
Deputies said the call came in just after 11 p.m. Sunday from a home on Paper Mill Road, near White Horse Road and Augusta Road. The first account given to investigators said a man and a woman were inside the house when two masked men armed with guns arrived. The woman was able to get away and call 911, deputies said. The sheriff’s office said the man was reported kidnapped, setting off a search overnight and into Monday morning.
By 8:40 a.m. Monday, the case had changed. The sheriff’s office said investigators determined the original report of a kidnapping was unfounded. Officials also said the man who had been reported missing was safe. Deputies did not release his name, the woman’s name or the names of any other people tied to the report. They also did not say where the man was found or what led investigators to determine that the report was not supported.
The reported incident centered on the Gantt area of Greenville County, a community southwest of downtown Greenville and near several major roads, including White Horse Road and Augusta Road. The location mattered because the first report suggested an armed home invasion and abduction, a type of call that can bring a large law enforcement response. Deputies did not report injuries in the update that said the case was unfounded.
No charges had been announced in the available updates. Investigators did not say whether the case remained open, whether anyone could face charges tied to the report, or whether deputies were still reviewing statements or other evidence from the home. The sheriff’s office said only that the person reported missing had been safely located and that the kidnapping claim was unfounded.
The first details released by deputies described a serious and fast-moving report: two armed people in masks, a man taken from a home and a woman who escaped to call emergency dispatchers. The later update sharply narrowed the case. Officials did not explain whether the first report was based on a misunderstanding, false information or another circumstance. Those details remained unknown Monday.
The case stood Monday as a reported kidnapping that investigators said did not happen as first described. The next milestone is whether the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office releases any further findings or announces whether charges will be filed.
Author note: Last updated June 14, 2026.