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FAIRFIELD COUNTY – A single-vehicle crash on Christmas Eve in Fairfield County claimed the life of 21-year-old Armanti Rice-Richmond.

According to S.C. Highway Patrol Master Trooper Hannah Davidson, the crash occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 24 on SC 213 near Anderson Quarry Road.

Rice-Richmond was a restrained front-seat passenger in a 2006 Honda Accord traveling south on SC 213. The Highway Patrol reports that the driver of the vehicle crossed the center line, overcorrected, and then ran off the right side of the roadway before striking a tree.

Rice-Richmond sustained fatal injuries in the collision. The condition of the driver has not been released.

The crash remains under investigation by the SC Highway Patrol.

BLYTHEWOOD – Capt. Maria Yturria, Director of the Office of Public Information for RCSD, announced on Dec. 16 that Frederick W. Layman, III, Director of Doko Manor, has been arrested on charges of obtaining property under false pretenses.

According to Yturria’s announcement on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, Blythewood’s town attorney sent a letter requesting an investigation into the possible misuse and/or misappropriation of public funds associated with the use of the Manor.

In answer to The Voice’s inquiry about the investigation following Monday night’s council meeting, Interim Town Manager Ed Driggers said he had been in frequent communication about the town hall-initiated investigation and had turned all evidence of criminal activity at the Manor over to the sheriff’s office. He said all the communication between himself and RCSD has been verbal, and that town hall has not received any documentation from RCSD about Layman’s investigation or the Sept. 11 Manor incident investigation.

Yturria stated in the press release that Layman had accepted funds for the use of the Manor and had not deposited those funds into the town’s account.

“This occurred over the course of 6 months totaling about $2,950,” Yturria stated.

She stated that Layman wanted to repay the money so he would not be held accountable and sent his wife to the Manor on Sept. 11, with a blank check. At that time, he further made allegations of kidnapping by the Mayor. The RCSD incident report, however, did not mention that Layman alleged kidnapping, but stated that Layman said his wife was being held hostage.

In an email to The Voice, Yturria stated that, “This [Sept. 11] investigation is closed with no prosecution after evidence was presented to the solicitor’s office, who advised no prosecution.”

“An arrest is not a conviction,” Layman’s Attorney JJ Shellenberg with Thad Myers law firm said. “There is significantly more to this situation, and we look forward to the opportunity for Mr. Layman to clear his name.”

Yturria stated in the press release that RCSD has received additional requests to investigate other allegations of misconduct and of ethics violations.

The SC Ethics Commission is currently investigating Manor reservations that, according to the Manor reservation records, were comped for Richland County Councilman Derrek Pugh. A notation, “Mayor/Pugh,” was next to the reservation records obtained by The Voice through an FOI request.

Yturria also stated that allegations of misconduct or policy violations that are not criminal in nature were directed back to the town council. However, members of Blythewood Town Council have told The Voice that they have not received any allegations of misconduct or policy violations from RCSD. 

The only criminal violation at this point, Yturria said, is that of Layman’s.

Layman turned himself into investigators of the sheriff’s department on Dec. 16, and was booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on charges of Obtaining Property Under False Pretenses.

At the bond hearing Tuesday morning, Layman was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Layman’s case was delayed because the judge conducting the bond hearing had to recuse herself for his case. Officials at the jail told The Voice that judges are not required to say why they are recusing themselves.

WINNSBORO – The Winnsboro Town Council passed second and final reading Tuesday night on a new ordinance aimed at cracking down on persistently vacant buildings in Winnsboro’s downtown. The ordinance is aimed at long-empty structures that drag down property values that they say invite crime and stall revitalization efforts, specifically in the downtown area of Winnsboro.

Ordinance 165 provides a new section in Winnsboro’s building code titled “Vacant Building Regulations.” The new code focuses specifically on the town’s core downtown area and requires owners of vacant buildings to register their properties with the town, in order to secure them, and improve their appearance.

Council cites its authority to pass the ordinance under a state law that allows the government to “enact such ordinances and regulations as appear necessary and proper for the security, general welfare, and convenience of the Town,” including the abatement of nuisances.

Why the Ordinance?

In the findings section of the ordinance, council wrote that persistently vacant buildings are an impediment to neighborhood redevelopment and rehabilitation, lead to lower property values, and create a barrier to a stable neighborhood.

According to the ordinance, vacant buildings are often unsightly, more likely to become structurally unsound or otherwise dangerous, and can attract criminal activity and create “threats to public health, safety, and welfare.”

“These issues are felt most acutely in the downtown area,” Winnsboro Town Manager Chris Clausen said. “Part of the reason is that the lots in the downtown area are smaller and the buildings are in close proximity to each other.

“And when structures get old, they tend to deteriorate more quickly, especially if they are left empty and not maintained.” Clausen said. “Plus, when buildings are vacant, it’s more difficult to find the person who owns them or responsible for them. We feel we need a formal system to identify owners and hold them accountable.”

What the ordinance does

The ordinance provides a registration system that will make it easier for county staff to identify and track vacant buildings in the defined downtown area. It will also require owners to secure and maintain those buildings to minimize safety hazards and blight.

Clausen said the ordinance will help improve the aesthetics in areas where empty storefronts have existed for a long time. The goal is to make them attractive so they don’t detract from other ongoing downtown improvement initiatives.

To support the enforcement of the ordinance, Town council will adopt a fee schedule for vacant building registration.

Under Ordinance 165, the town code is amended to add the new “Vacant Building Regulations” division to Title XV, Chapter 150 (Buildings). A separate schedule of registration fees – attached to the ordinance as Exhibit B – was adopted along with the ordinance.

Registration and Deadlines

Now that the ordinance has taken effect, the Town will next audit all buildings in the downtown area that appear to qualify as vacant. For each building that appears to meet the definition of ‘vacant,’ the town will send a notice to the owner, with a signed, return receipt that shows verification of delivery and an explanation of the new rules.

Once owners receive the notice, they will have 60 days – and no later than 90 days from the date it was sent – to provide evidence that the building is not vacant, or they must comply with the new vacant building regulations, including registration.

Public Hearing and Effective Date

Council held a public hearing at the meeting, but no one appeared to speak for or against the ordinance.

The Goal: a vibrant, attractive downtown

“By forcing absentee owners to register and improve their properties – and by giving town staff the tools and authority to identify and contact those owners – we’ll be better able to curb blight, support nearby businesses and residents, and make the town’s downtown area safer and more appealing to business owners and families to want to invest in our community,” Clausen said.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY — The search for a missing North Carolina man came to an end last week in Fairfield County. The Fairfield County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the remains of 33-year-old Jonathan Charles Shores were recovered from a wooded area off Newberry Rd. on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Shores, a resident of Mocksville, NC, had been reported missing by his family in Davidson County, NC, on Nov. 11, 2025.

According to officials, the recovery effort was a joint operation involving local and out-of-state agencies. Staff from the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office worked alongside investigators from the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.

An autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 26. The examination is expected to determine the cause and manner of death.

The circumstances surrounding Shores’ death remain under investigation by the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office and law enforcement agencies in both Fairfield and Davidson counties.

WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a male subject involved in an indecent exposure incident.

At approximately 3:12 P.M., Nov.  17, the subject entered the Dollar General and proceeded to the rear of the store, where he remained for about an hour. At around 4:13 p.m., surveillance footage shows the subject walking near a female customer while exposing his genitals. Moments later, he was seen pulling his shorts back up and exiting the store at 4:14 p.m. without making any purchases.

Anyone who can identify this subject or provide additional information is urged to contact Sgt. Levister at 803-801-0309.

If the individual is seen returning to the store or the surrounding area, please call immediately.

BLYTHEWOOD – A violent crime spree that began with a gunpoint carjacking in Blythewood ended in a shooting and an airlift in Orangeburg County on Saturday, Nov. 15.

Steven Townsend, 32, is currently in custody at a Midlands hospital following the multi-county incident that involved three stolen vehicles and a stolen firearm, according to a release from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff’s report said the spree began just after 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Deputies responded to the 200 block of Blythewood Road, where a victim reported that Townsend had stolen their Lexus at gunpoint before fleeing at a high rate of speed.

Deputies located the Lexus abandoned and disabled near the 1600 block of Beltline Blvd. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered the firearm used in the carjacking, which was reported stolen out of Union County, North Carolina.

Townsend, however, had already fled the scene. Witnesses advised deputies that a suspect matching Townsend’s description had exited the Lexus and immediately stolen a second vehicle, a Ford Escape.

A ‘Be On the Look Out’ (BOLO) alert was issued to surrounding agencies. At approximately 9:30 a.m., the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office notified Richland investigators that they had located the stolen Ford Escape. It had been abandoned. Orangeburg deputies then located Townsend in a third stolen vehicle.

According to officials, Townsend attempted to flee from Orangeburg deputies and was subsequently involved in a shooting. He was airlifted to a Midlands hospital where he remains in stable condition in the custody of the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Townsend currently faces charges from RCSD for Armed Robbery and Possession of a Weapon during a Violent Crime. Additional charges are expected as the investigation continues.

BLYTHEWOOD – Two months after a woman accused a Town employee of preventing her from leaving the Manor with her 10-month old baby, an incident she claims caused a medical emergency, it appears the investigation has resulted in no charges against the accused.

“It’s my understanding that the Richland County Sheriff’s Department did review the footage of the Manor incident and conducted an investigation,” Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock told The Voice on Tuesday in response to an email requesting information about the status of the investigation. “It was communicated to me that, after review, they have concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant charges. I am not certain if they have wrapped up their investigation into the Sept. 11, 2025 incident.”

The Voice sent an email to Sheriff Leon Lott on Monday requesting information about the investigation’s status but had not received a response by press time Wednesday.

In a lawsuit filed on Oct. 30, 2025, Michelle Layman alleges the employee was following the mayor’s instruction to prevent her from leaving the building unless she took back a check she had left with the Manor’s assistant director. The lawsuit claims that the Town’s Human Resources director was present throughout the incident and did not intervene on Layman’s behalf. Layman contends she suffered a heart attack as a result of the incident.

During the incident, Layman was issued a trespass notice based on claims made in an incident report submitted by a Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy. Each significant claim in the incident report against Layman is undermined by surveillance video that recorded the Manor incident.

Layman is suing the Town for gross negligence, negligence, defamation, false imprisonment, and abuse of process. The suit also accuses Mayor Sloan Griffin of defamation in his individual capacity.