A body found inside a donation bin in South Carolina had likely been dead for at least several months, Kershaw County authorities said.

Someone found the body after checking the rusty bin well off U.S. Highway 1 in Lugoff after smelling a bad odor, investigators said.

Investigators first thought the body might be from someone seeking shelter from the recent cold snap, but quickly determined the remains had been in the bin for at least several months, Kershaw County Coroner David West said.

The bin appeared to have not been emptied for years and had VHS tapes inside, West said.

Investigators for now are treating the death as a homicide and took the bin and the body away for further investigation, Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday, authorities sad.