Murder charges were filed Wednesday against a Grovetown man in the bizarre butcher-knife stabbing of his wife on June 14, authorities said.

“Philip West was released from GRU this afternoon and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center where he has been charged with murder,” sheriff’s Capt. Steve Morris said in a press release.

   (For more crime news, pick up this week’s edition of The Jail Report, in stores now. Cover: http://bit.ly/1S8Q4MM)

West, a Columbia County Water Works employee, allegedly stabbed his wife to death on the evening of Sunday, June 14. Capt. Morris said the stabbing followed an argument between the couple.

The dramatic death followed a 911 call from 2006 Shoreline Drive in which wife Sherri West could be heard screaming in the background. When the call got disconnected and the 911 operator called the number back, a male answered and said he would open the door for deputies and that everything was fine.

But in less than three minutes, deputies arrived and Phillip West answered the door with a large butcher knife embedded in his chest and numerous lacerations on his arms and wrists. Sherri West, 47 was found on the kitchen floor, unresponsive with a stab wound to the chest. She later died.

The husband had been hospitalized since the event and was interviewed several times. Capt. Morris said the evidence shows this was a murder and suicide attempt.

West is being held without bond.

The post Grovetown Man Charged with Murder in Wife’s Death appeared first on AugustaCrime.com - Richmond, Columbia, and Aiken County Jail - Reports & Mugshots.

An Augusta woman has been charged with murder and child cruelty after leaving her 8-month-old god baby in a hot truck Sunday and falling asleep inside her home, leading to the girl’s death.

Latoya Louise Bell, 31, is a cousin and godmother of Ja’Karheyonna Hougues-Double (right picture). She asked the child’s family if she could keep the baby for a while on Sunday, authorities said.

“She had gotten the baby about 8 o’clock in the morning,” Coroner Mark Bowen said. “The baby was found in the truck around 5 p.m.”

The coroner said the child was found strapped in the car seat in the truck on the 3900 block of Old Waynesboro Road. The baby was driven to University Hospital by a relative and after an attempt to save the child failed, she was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. Sunday.

According to a warrant, the victim “sustained a body temperature of 108 degrees and visible burns.” Weather data shows the temperature in Augusta was 92 degrees at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators say Bell left the child in the vehicle, entered her residence and fell asleep, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Monica Belser.

Bowen said it was a hard death to handle.

“That was tough,” he said. “It’s never easy, but especially when it’s a young child.”

Bowen said the child’s mother works at 5 in the morning, and the child is usually watched by the great-grandmother. But when Bell asked to take the child for the day, the great-grandmother agreed and even let Bell use her truck. There are reports Bell took the child to church, but authorities are still investigating what happened later in the day.

The great-grandmother sent her granddaughter down to Bell’s home to check on the baby and found her in the truck, Bowen said. It appears she had been there for “several hours,” Bowen said.

An autopsy is planned for later Monday, but it could be Tuesday since the GBI lab in Atlanta is backed up.

Bell remains in the Richmond County Jail without bond.

Editor’s Note: If anyone from the family has a picture of Ja’Karheyonna Hougues-Double, please email it to publisher@thejailreport.com or text it to 803-487-3224.

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UPDATED: 2 ARRESTS MADE IN KILLING, WHICH WAS DRUG-RELATED.
Link: http://augustacrime.com/augusta-murder-was-drug-related-2-arrested/
Original story: A Columbia County man was found dead in Augusta Monday night, and authorities have identified at least two suspects in the slaying.

Maurice Lamar Grant, 39, of Harlem (pictured above and at right), was found dead on Crawfordville Court last night after deputies responded to an assault. He was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. at the scene, Coroner Mark Bowen said in a press release. A cause of death was not listed.

The identities of the two suspects have not been released, and authorities did not immediately return phone calls regarding whether they are in custody.

It’s unclear what Grant was doing in Augusta, but he has a history of criminal charges in Richmond County, including a Peeping Tom incident in 2013 which he later served 90 days in jail under a plea deal.

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A father and son have been charged in Monday’s drug-related stabbing death of a man in Augusta.

Oliver Baxter Hollands, 49, of Martinez (above left picture), and his son, Avery Baxter Hollands, 28, of North Augusta (above right), are both charged in the slaying of 39-year-old Maurice Grant of Harlem, Ga.

“Information received led investigators to believe this incident was drug-related,” sheriff’s Sgt. Monica Belser said in a press release.

Grant (right picture) was found dead on Crawfordville Court Monday night after deputies responded to an assault. He was pronounced dead at 9:40 p.m. at the scene, Coroner Mark Bowen said in a press release.

Currently, Oliver Hollands has been booked into the Richmond County Jail where he has been charged with murder.  Avery Hollands was just recently located and taken into custody on the 200 block of Lee Street in Aiken County.  Avery Hollands has been detained in the Aiken County Jail where he is awaiting extradition back to Georgia.  Once Avery Hollands is returned to Georgia, he will be charged with murder.

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An elderly man in Beech Island was shot to death by his drunken wife Tuesday morning after he repeatedly accused her of cheating,  according to authorities.

William A. Todd, 78, of Maggie Valley Lane, was pronounced dead at about 5:15 a.m. Tuesday after allegedly being shot with a pistol in the abdomen by his wife, authorities said. The couple is shown above in a Facebook photo.

Mary Todd, 76, of Beech Island, has been charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Here’s the motive: Mrs. Todd told deputies that her husband had “accused her of cheating,” according to a sheriff’s report.

“He would not stop,” Mary Todd told deputies.

Mrs. Todd confessed to shooting her husband around 4 a.m. Tuesday and admitted that “she had way too much alcohol,” a report says.

An autopsy is scheduled in Newberry later today.

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An Augusta woman died early Monday, two days after she was shot while riding with a guy involved in a heated argument with his cousin, authorities say.

Brittany Trantham, 21 (pictured at right), was in a vehicle with her boyfriend Jermaz Lawson about 3 a.m. Saturday when Lawson got into an argument with his cousin, Shanadore Harmon. The dispute continued on Cunningham Drive when Harman shot at the vehicle Lawson and Trantham were riding in, resulting in the victim being shot.

Deputies rushed to the scene, but Trantham had already been driven to the GRU Emergency Room in critical condition. She died at 12:20 a.m. Monday, leaving a 2-year-old child behind without a mother.

On Cunningham Drive, cops caught Harmon trying to hide underneath a tree, according to a press release. Officers also found his gun and found fired cartridge casings in the road.

Harmon, 36 (shown in mugshot), was initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Murder charges are expected now that Trantham has died.

Background. Harmon is a convicted drug dealer and repeat offender with a history of appearances in The Jail Report. He has a criminal record that goes back to his days as teenager with multiple arrests for drugs, assault, DUI, theft, weapons and fighting cops. he has been in and out of prison six times in Georgia.

Oddly enough, Harmon was arrested a year ago in Augusta for allegedly pointing a gun at a woman’s head in the middle of the street at 1 in the morning and threatening to “blow her brains out.”  He was indicted on for the crime, but prosecutors suddenly dropped the case in March against the convicted felon and put it on the dead docket. The reasons were not immediately clear.

When that alleged crime occurred, Harmon had only been out of prison for two months after serving a 2-year prison sentence for DUI, theft and traffic offenses.

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HAMPTON, VINCENT

Inmate ID#: 118037
Home Address City: AUGUSTA
Drivers Lic State:
Bio:

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DNA evidence has tied a local man to a 1990 homicide in North Augusta.

Vincent Maurice Hampton, 44, has been charged with murder in the slaying of Gloria Dickinson. The victim was also 44 when she was found strangled in Room 11 of the Downtown Motel on the 100 block of Georgia Avenue on Oct. 30, 1990.

In April of this year, North Augusta Public Safety received notification from SLED that there had been a CODIS DNA hit on the cold case linking Hampton to the victim.  Detectives discovered that Hampton was jailed in the Richmond County Detention Center on simple battery charges. He also had been convicted in 2014 of aggravated assault, weapon possession and terroristic threats, but he only got probation.

Hampton fought extradition back to South Carolina after he was linked to the murder through DNA, but he was eventually released from Georgia and transferred to North Augusta.  On Thursday, he was booked and transported to the Aiken County Detention Center.

“It’s important to point out that the key piece of DNA evidence left behind at the scene of the crime that eventually led authorities to Hampton had not yet been discovered,” NADPS Lt. Tim Thornton said in a press release. “It is a tool that has proven itself time and time again to be crucial for successful prosecution.  Law enforcement personnel are encouraged about the potential resolution of other cold cases where scientific methods have yet to be discovered.”

Hampton has been in the Aiken County Jail before with a 2011 arrest for DUI and open container.

The Jail Report featured Hampton over the summer for an assault on his daughter. In that case, authorities say he had been drinking and assaulted his teenage daughter at a family party in Augusta. A sheriff’s report says he grabbed the girl by the arm and when she snatched it away, he grabbed her harder and slammed her into a car door.  The girl had bruises on her right arm and her back. She also had scratches on her back and she had a knot on the back of her head, the report said.

A deputy spoke with Hampton on the phone to meet with him about that assault, but Hampton said no and that the officers would have to find him, the report said. They found him a few weeks later.

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A Hephzibah man who shot his wife to death in front of her children and then left the home has been caught in Wilkes County, authorities said.

Robert Francis Ware, 47, has been charged with murder in Sunday night’s shooting of wife Michelle Ware (right picture) inside their home at 4540 Pineview Lane, authorities said. She was shot in the head and died at the scene while her children were there, sheriff’s Sgt. Monica Belser said in a press release.

“The victim’s children implicated Michelle Ware’s husband as the suspect,” Sgt. Belser said.

A police bulletin was put out for Robert Ware and the vehicle he was driving, including an alert that he had connections to the Athens area.

“A Georgia State Patrol Trooper observed Robert Ware’s vehicle in Wilkes County and stopped the vehicle and detained Robert Ware,” Sgt. Belser said.

The suspect (shown at right in a Facebook picture) was driven back to Richmond County and charged with murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and misdemeanor cruelty to children.

“This incident is believed to be domestic in nature and involved an ongoing argument over issues affecting the marriage,” Sgt. Belser said.

According to a Facebook page for the victim, the couple had been married for four years. Michelle Ware was 39.

Editor’s Note: If you have a better picture of Michelle Ware, please email it to publisher@thejailreport.com or text it to 803-487-3224.

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An Augusta man’s been charged with murder in Thursday’s shooting death of a supervisor of Teleperformance, but authorities are still seeking more suspects.

Marquise Terrell Yarbary, 24 (shown above), has been in jail since early Friday morning on a magistrate’s court bench warrant, but authorities have now connected him to the slaying of 29-year-old Randy Ramos (pictured at right). The victim was short once in the chest in the call center parking lot, which is near Augusta Mall.

Investigators say they developed information Sunday leading to the murder charge.

“Sheriff’s Office investigators are continuing the investigation and working to identify additional suspects involved in the incident,” sheriff’s Lt. Allan Rollins said in a press release.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Investigative Division at 706-821-1020 during business hours or Dispatch 706-821-1080 after hours.  All calls can be held confidentially.

Ramos was fatally shot Thursday afternoon in the Teleperformance parking lot near the mall. He was shot once and was pronounced dead at GRU Hospital at 6:13 p.m Thursday. Co-workers of Ramos say he was a great supervisor at Teleperformance and had one son.

Yarbary has a history of violence in Richmond County, including charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault, weapon possession and theft by receiving stolen property. In a 2012 case, he was accused of holding a handgun to a young teenager and threatening to kill “whoever called the police on him” about a robbery.

Judges have given him probation in every case, according to online records.

Yarbary is being held without bond at the Richmond County Jail.

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Aiken County Sheriff Michel Hunt is asking for the community’s help in identifying a suspect in the horrific double murder of a beloved Jackson couple.

The sheriff’s office formed a task force with SLED as they continue to aggressively investigate the shooting deaths of Navy veteran Louis Baker Cochran and his wife Sandra Cochran. The couple and their dog were found dead at their Green Pond Road home on Dec. 8, but it has been estimated that they had been for three days.

VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhBVnseyYP0

Louis Cochran  was found outside at the back of the home while Sandra Cochran and the dog were inside. It is not known how the killer got in because there was no sign of doors or windows being forced open.

At today’s news conference, Sheriff Hunt stressed that the person or persons involved are dangerous and could hurt anyone who knows or suspects their involvement.

“The suspect(s) continues to pose a danger, not only to other persons, but also family members and friends close to them,” he said, during the morning event held at the Aiken County Detention Center. “It is possible that they may strike out violently and unpredictably against those they care about the most.”

The sheriff said it has been their experience that someone close to the person or persons who committed the crime may have an indication about their involvement.

He stressed that family members or friends may find it difficult to give information to law enforcement but said the tip may be key to preventing another tragic death.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Cochran Homicide Task Force. You can call the  tip line and leave a message on the voice mail. The tip line number is 803-507-1437. You do not have to leave your name, but if you would like to talk to an investigator, you are asked to leave your name and number.

You may also email your information. The email address is: investigations@aikencountysheriff.org.

Citizens also have the option of calling in a tip to CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-888-CRIME-SC or www.sccrimestoppers.com .

The sheriff released no new details today saying it would not be appropriate because of the ongoing investigation.

For example, the sheriff would not say where the couple’s car was found. Their red 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider, which has a tan top, was taken and has since been recovered.

And the home was burglarized, but information about what was taken has not been released.

“Evidence indicates that the subjects spent time ransacking and stealing from the home after murdering the Cochrans,” Sheriff Hunt said.

When asked whether any of the items had shown up in local pawn shops, the sheriff said he could not comment.

And there is still the question of the motive behind the crime and why this elderly couple was targeted.

Sheriff Hunt did say that they have interviewed witnesses, but he said their are others in the community who also have information and who need to come forward.

“It is also likely that others saw or heard something significant between the dates of Dec. 4 through Dec. 8 regarding the murders and at the time, they may not have recognized it as being relevant to the case,” the sheriff said. “Sometimes the smallest piece of evidence can make the biggest impact in a case.”

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A second suspect’s been arrested in last week’s shooting death of a supervisor of Teleperformance call center in Augusta, and he’s a local teen with a history of gun charges.

Tarez Gordon, 18, of Augusta (above), was taken into custody Friday night at a residence on Shalimar Drive. He’s been charged with murder, armed robbery and weapon possession in the Dec. 10th slaying of 29-year-old Randy Ramos (pictured at right).

Authorities have already charged 24-year-old Marquise Yarbary (pictured) with the murder, and they are working to identify additional suspects in the killing.

The victim was shot in the chest in the call center parking lot, which is near Augusta Mall. Co-workers of Ramos say he was a great supervisor at Teleperformance and had one son.

WGAC’s Austin Rhodes has reported that the shooting was a “targeted hit,” citing sources close to the investigation who say Ramos had dealings with the suspects. Authorities say two suspects likely fired the shots at Teleperformance with a third driving the getaway car.

Why was he free? The fact that Gordon was free to participate in the murder is surprising since he was charged last year with possession of a pistol by someone under 18. He was 17 at the time. In February 2015, Judge Patricia Booker gave him 12 months of probation in that case. Yet, just two months later, he was AGAIN charged with gun possession as well as theft by taking, theft by receiving stolen property and marijuana possession. Judge Booker again slapped him on the wrist with more probation.

A report says Gordon’s second arrest came after he stole a .38-caliber revolver from his grandmother. Deputies who took the grandmother’s report said that Gordon was often seen by residents of Providence Place Apartments carrying guns, and worse, breaking into apartments there. Yet deputies said he “has not been caught because he always leaves before police can arrive,” a sheriff’s report said.

Gordon is proud of his criminal behavior. A public search shows Gordon has a Facebook page that shows him posing with a gun (right), flashing gang signs and displaying a supply of bullets.

The other murder suspect – Yarbary – was also free on probation despite multiple convictions.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Investigative Division at 706-821-1020 during business hours or Dispatch 706-821-1080 after hours.  All calls can be held confidentially. 

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A convicted sex offender at Augusta State Medical Prison is facing more time after his arrest for raping another inmate in the gym bathroom, authorities said.

(For more crime news, pick up this week’s Jail Report. It is sold in local stores.)

Isaac Reynolds, who is serving time for child molestation and aggravated sodomy, is accused of assaulting a 48-year-old man in the gym bathroom earlier this year and anally raping him, according to a warrant.

The arrest adds another stain on the prison, where an inmate died last year after being repeatedly stabbed by a fellow inmate. Tyrafred Amira Campbell was charged with murder in the death of Shannon Levi Grier.

And in 2011, inmate Inmate Antonio Wiley was found stabbed to death. Three inmates were charged with murder in that case.

In the rape case, Reynolds, 28, was formally charged with aggravated sodomy for the prison rape last week in Columbia County since the prison is located in Grovetown. He was transferred to the Columbia County Detention Center on Dec. 15.

Reynolds has been in state prison since 2007 when he was 20 years old. He is serving a 25-year sentence for molesting a child in 2007 and a separate 20-year sentence for aggravated sodomy in 2006. Both of those crimes occurred in Floyd County, Georgia.

How common is prison rape? A U.S. Department of Justice report an estimated 4.0% of state and federal prison inmates and 3.2% of jail inmates in 2011-2012 reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another inmate or facility staff over a 12-month period.

In 2012, the U.S. Justice department issued nationally enforceable protocols to all correctional institutions to expand upon the provisions of the 2003 PREA ACT. The move is an effort to prevent, detect and respond to prison rape more effectively. The measure includes numerous provisions, such as barring juveniles from being housed with adult inmates, a ban on cross-gender pat-down searches, video monitoring and special attention to lesbian, gay, transgender or bisexual inmates vulnerable to abuse.

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An Augusta man was fatally shot outside a liquor store on Monday, marking the year’s first homicide.

No arrests have been made in the slaying of 34-year-old James J. Sims III of Augusta (pictured). He was shot outside Kissingbower Package Shop about 5:21 p.m. Monday, according to Deputy Coroner Kenneth Boose.

“Sims was shot at least one time in the torso,” Boose said in a press release.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Monica Belser released this statement: “We are at the scene of a shooting with a fatal injury at 1773 Kissingbower Rd. The Kissingbower liquor store.   The case is very early on and what led to the shooting is under investigation.  But deputies received a call of shots fired and upon arrival they discovered a b/m victim laying outside of the building on the north side of the property.  It doesn’t appear the business is directly involved at this point.”

According to Facebook friends, the victim was known as “Mel.”

Editor’s Note: If you have a better photo of victim or memories to share, please email it to publisher@thejailreport.com or text it to 803-487-3224.

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District Attorney Ashley Wright has released a defense of this week’s probationary sentence for a couple connected to the death of Martinez infant Bentley Reeves.

Last summer, authorities said they believed a Martinez baby was intentionally suffocated by his mother’s boyfriend and filed murder charges in the death of the 6-month-old boy. Lexis Russell and boyfriend Jacob Harris were both charged with murder in connection with the death of the 6-month-old boy.

At the time, authorities said they believed Harris suffocated the baby because he was tired of hearing the child screaming and crying. The couple were also charged with drug offenses  related to the meth, marijuana and spice that was found in the couple’s trailer at 4222 Wheeler Road.

In an email to WGAC’s Austin Rhodes, Wright addressed news this week that Russell was sentenced by Chief Judge J. Car­lisle Overstreet to just seven years of probation and drug abuse treatment after pleading guilty only to the drug charges. (She was on probation for felony convictions for forgery and drug possession.) In addition, Overstreet sentenced Harris to seven years of probation. He did not have any previous felonies.

In her statement to Rhodes, the District Attorney explained that the mother’s murder charge was dismissed at a preliminary hearing last year due to a lack of probable cause.

“The male defendant’s warrant was bound over to Superior Court in a separate preliminary hearing. It remains pending at this time,” Wright said. “That hearing adduced the following: there is no apparent cause of death for this infant, whose little body showed no evidence of disease or trauma. The cause of death is undetermined, which can have many implications (both criminal and non-criminal).

“The only evidence that the defendant committed an offense is from a jailhouse informant,” Wright continued. “He stated that the male defendant made a statement to him that he had suffocated the baby. His report does not match that of the mother or the boyfriend who were present in the house. As that warrant against the male defendant remains pending, I cannot offer any further insight at this time.”

As to the drug charges, Wright said the factual situation is similar.

“The officers responded to a call based on the child’s death. Upon arrival, they found evidence outside the residence that there had been drug usage and recent manufacturing,” the District Attorney said. “A small amount of methamphetamine was found. There was a witness who indicated that the same child had been present during a manufacturing process in the past. But there was nothing that corroborated that, including a negative toxicology screen of the baby during the autopsy process. The Sheriff’s Office made charges of possession of and manufacturing of methamphetamine in the presence of a child based on this reported information and the items that they located during their search. These are the charges that have been sentenced this week.”

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Authorities have identified the man fatally shot in Hephzibah on Friday.

Zachary T. Nutter, 26 (pictured), was shot once in the head on the 5000 block of Fulcher Road and was rushed to GRU, where he was pronounced dead.

Sheriff’s officials say the have “everyone of relevance in custody.” No arrests have been announced.

Stay tuned…

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An Augusta man has been arrested in the Jan. 4th fatal shooting outside a liquor store, authorities said.

Kevin Antwan Williams, a convicted drug dealer, was charged Sunday with murder in connection with the slaying of 34-year-old James J. “Mel” Sims III of Augusta (pictured). Sims was shot outside Kissingbower Package Shop on Jan. 4.

A warrant says Williams shot the victim in the chest with a handgun. Authorities are not discussing a motive or releasing any other details other than the arrest.

Suspect Background. Williams, 25, had a history of criminal activity that includes dealing marijuana in 2009. He received a three-year prison sentence, but he served just four months before being paroled.

After his release, Williams was charged with marijuana possession and controlled substance possession but he received no prison time for them. He also has convictions in 2011 for theft by receiving stolen property and fleeing police, which earned him five years of probation, according to court records.

In addition to his murder warrant, Williams is also charged with felony theft by taking for allegedly stealing a leased Nissan from someone that he was supposed to return it to.

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Two men tied to a horrific homicide of an Evans man in 2002 are sitting in the Edgefield County Jail on murder charges for allegedly burning the victim alive in the trunk of his car.

Shannon Patton, 31 (left), and Daniel Newton, 29 (right), were extradited from their Georgia prison to South Carolina last week after serving over a decade for the initial burglary and kidnapping of Jack Murray in Evans. Georgia officials say they agreed to provide the men after receiving a court production order.

Edgefield County Solicitor Donnie Myers is making good on threats to charge them in the murder, which took place in South Carolina. The men were brought to Edgefield last Wednesday and each charged with murder and kidnapping, according to jail records.

Here’s the case history: Murray’s body was found in the trunk of a burning car on Nov. 18, 2002 in Edgefield County. He had been bound, beaten and burned alive.

A day later, teens Marcus McCord and Randy Conrad confessed to Columbia County investigators that they had broke into the man’s home along with Newton and Patton. Patton was the former stepson of the 63-year-old victim (pictured here).

The pair said Patton and Newton told them they drove to Sumter National Forest and set the car on fire on Deep Step Road.

In 2002, McCord and Conrad were sentenced to 10 years in prison for their role. Later, Newton and Patton pleaded guilty in Columbia County Superior Court to kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary and theft.

The Murray family have told local media that they always blamed South Carolina officials for not prosecuting the pair for murder and feared they would be paroled early.

“I just don’t think they should ever see the light of day again,” the victim’s son, Michael Murray, told local media last year.

Stay tuned for updates…

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