“I go in and out from crying and being happy,” said Thomas French’s mom

NEED TO KNOW

A body found earlier this month in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has been identified as an 18-year-old who was planning to move to Boston, according to police.

Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard tells PEOPLE on Friday, Aug. 28, that the victim was Thomas French, 18, and was “moving from Florida to Boston when he met with some unfortunate circumstances that led him to Myrtle Beach for what was intended to be a brief stay.”

His cause of death has not been determined, Willard says. Myrtle Beach Police are investigating the incident.

On Monday, Aug. 25, the Myrtle Beach Police Department asked for the public’s help to identify a body found in Myrtle Beach without identification, a phone and other identifying belongings or tattoos. They said the body was recovered on Aug. 8 in the 1000 block of Highway 501.

The department also shared in a social media post a “forensic postmortem illustration” of the victim to indicate his possible appearance. Authorities searched through the local, state and federal missing persons databases to identify him but were initially unsuccessful.

A day later, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, police said in an update that the victim had been identified and that his next of kin were notified. It is not clear if they are investigating his cause of death at this time.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who shared this post and took the time to comment, message, email, or call us with information. Your willingness to help made a difference and, most importantly, helped bring answers to his family,” the department said.

In an email to PEOPLE on Friday, a spokesperson for the department wrote: “At this time there is no indication that the death is suspicious.”

Ashley Fralick, French’s mother, remembered her late son in an interview with NBC affiliate WMBF.

“He was, he was so smart,” Fralick said. “At one time he wanted to be a politician. He loved music, he loved to rap, and he loved to draw.”

Fralick told the outlet her son moved to Myrtle Beach around July 4 from Florida, and the last time she spoke with French was on Aug. 7.

“He was really excited,” she recalled. “He had just gotten into a 6-month program that’s gonna help him start his life, get him in the Job Corps, and help him start his future. It just, it got cut really short, really fast.”

Fralick also said she had been searching for her son and had been calling his last known number daily to no avail. She said someone showed her the sketch of the unidentified victim while others told her that wasn’t him.

She added that French would not go a day without speaking with her. She also said her family knows very little about what happened to him.

Fralick, who is pregnant, said French leaves behind two siblings and another on the way, telling WMBF, “I go in and out from crying and being happy.”

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An online fundraiser was established to help French’s family pay for funeral costs.

“Thomas was only 18 years old,” the campaign description read. “He was a loved son and an adored big brother. His life was taken far too soon, leaving behind a family who is now trying to navigate an unimaginable loss.”

“Thomas deserved so much more time. He deserved the chance to grow, experience life, and make memories with the people who loved him,” the description added.