COLUMBIA – SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) has charged Matthew Daniel McCoy, 18, of Blythewood, in connection with one of two shootings that killed a woman and injured a man at South Carolina State University Saturday night.
McCoy
McCoy was charged with Pointing and Presenting a Firearm at a Person, and Carrying a Weapon on School Property on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. The SLED investigation was requested by the South Carolina State University Department of Public Safety.
McCoy was booked into the Orangeburg County Detention Center.
The case will be prosecuted by the 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office. SLED is investigating two shootings at S.C. State. Both shootings occurred in the evening on Saturday, Oct. 4. A woman was killed in one of the shootings.
A man was injured in the second shooting, and he is currently in the hospital.
The shootings are not believed to be connected at this time, however, SLED’s investigations are active and ongoing.
Anyone with information on either incidents should call (866) 472-8477 and/or email tips@sled.sc.gov.
BLYTHEWOOD – The Manor, Blythewood’s event venue, hasn’t made a profit or broke even since it opened in 2015. Its net loss for fiscal year 2024-25 was the highest loss yet – a staggering $175,375.56, up $34,177.50 over the previous year’s net loss.
Documents received in Blythewood town hall’s Sept. 8
response to a Freedom of Information request from the Voice show a new pattern
of lost Manor revenue that began in early 2024. That pattern shows reservations
for the Manor, the amphitheater, and other park venues being increasingly
‘rented’ for free or at greatly reduced fees.
“According to the FOI documents received by The Voice, by
not charging the fees reflected in the town’s ordinance, we lost about $134,600
on the Manor and amphitheater alone in 2024, and another $129,140 in 2025,”
Councilman Rich McKenrick said. “Even if I was off some here, the loss totals
somewhere in the neighborhood of $263,740,” McKenrick said. “How is that
happening?”
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock said council has not authorized anyone,
including the mayor, to comp or reduce fees for the Manor, and that it should
not be happening.
“Chapter 93.02 of the ordinance approved by council stipulates what fees are to be charged for reservations. It states that the Manor director is required to enforce the fees adopted by council, but that he has the authority to negotiate fees within 60 days of an event,” Brock said.
In a video from a breakfast Mayor Sloan Griffin hosted at
Lizard’s Thicket last summer, he denied that he negotiates Manor contracts for
events or that he has access to the Manor booking system
“I don’t get into the negotiations unless there’s a global
nonprofit that I know is benefiting directly to the town, and they contact me,”
Griffin said. “I don’t have access to the Manor booking system …I am very
strict on that.”
Griffin insisted that it is the Manor Director Fred Layman
who makes the pricing decisions and deviations, not him (Griffin). “I’m not
getting into how the director prices it, because that’s his job,” Griffin said.
Last week, Blythewood’s Interim Administrator Ed Driggers turned over what he said is evidence to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department against Layman. Town Hall says the documents concern the Town’s internal investigation of payments that were not turned in on time for a cheerleading program’s reservations for practices held at the Manor over an eight month period. Those payments are estimated at $1,000 – $2,000, according information provided to The Voice by both Layman and a council member.
Still, at least 14 free rentals listed in the Manor events
bookings since mid-2024 include the following notations: “per the mayor,”
“event at no charge per the mayor,” “mayor waved the fee,” “mayor comp,” “as
per mayor,” and “a gift from the town.”
Next to the comped reservation for Richland County Council Vice-Chair Derek Pugh on the Manor reservation list is the notation: “Mayor-Pugh.” Former Blythewood Town Councilman Larry Griffin was the recipient of comped reservations. A member of the Blythewood Chamber confirmed to The Voice that it was the mayor who authorized a free comp for the Chamber’s Gala last spring.
After stories were published about Pugh’s comped (free) reservations, Town officials said he negotiated to pay the Town $1,000 in lieu of the total $7,300 reservation cost for two events – a Friday, March 17, 2025 party for his mother-in-law, and a Saturday, Aug. 1, 2025 party for his sister-in-law. Layman says he was asked by the mayor to sit in on the negotiations, but that it was the mayor who negotiated the payment.
Layman sent the following email to his assistant, Kimberly Kacsur on July 28, 2025, in regard to authorization for Pugh’s reservation.
“Just to be clear. The Mayor booked the Pughs through you,
correct? [The Manor’s reservation system, Pitbull] says ‘per Mayor’ with zero
balance and zero due in May. Which is what we always do. So, you have done your
job correctly.
“However, I would double check with the Mayor because I did not approve of that. I did not know what [Mrs. Pugh] paid or was going to pay as Pitbull was down when that meeting occurred. I do not have the authority to discount or comp. I simply relayed the amount to charge as told by the Mayor at a meeting with Derek Pugh the day before I left …In fact, it should probably be in writing, the amount he wants to charge the Pughs.”
Layman has been on medical leave since that time.
FOI’d documents obtained by The Voice raise questions
regarding information in the Manor’s reservation listings.
A notation “as per mayor” was included on a comped memorial
service reservation at the Manor for one of the mayor’s top political
supporters who passed away during the referendum campaign.
Fees waived for the comped and reduced reservations, range as high as $4,500 per reservation, according to the Town’s Manor ordinance. Besides the 14 comped reservations since January, 2024, another 21 Manor reservations have been substantially reduced but are not directly tied to Griffin..
E-mails from Griffin to Layman show that the mayor has authorized
free and reduced-rate rentals.
In an email dated Nov. 12, 2024, Griffin wrote to Layman:
“First, I have to thank you for the amazing job you’re doing with the Manor and
the Park …I’m officially authorizing two price changes: Blythewood Chamber of
Commerce Christmas Gala – No Charge – and a Family Thanksgiving Day Dinner
reservation – $500.”
According to the Manor booking guide, the free Chamber Gala should have cost $4,500. The Family Thanksgiving Day Dinner reservation should have been $2,200.
In another email on Jan. 1, 2025, the mayor authorized Layman to adjust the booking fee for another of his (Griffin’s) top political supporters, to $1,000. (Name is redacted because The Voice has not been able to reach her for comment.)
“Kindly reach out to her at your earliest convenience and
finalize all necessary arrangements. Please let her know this has been
completed. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter,” Griffin wrote.
According to the Town ordinance’s pricing guide, the
specified fee for that reservation, without a discount, would have been $4,500.
“A gift from the Town,” was written in the margin of a
reservation for a Saturday, July 12, 2025, 50th wedding anniversary celebration
for former Town Councilman Larry Griffin and his wife. The celebration also
included a birthday party for his wife. The 200-guest party included a band,
dance floor, cake table, and bar in the lobby. Larry Griffin confirmed to The
Voice that he did not pay for the reservation, and that he was told it was a gift
from the Town.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock and Council Members Rich
McKenrick, Andrea Fripp, and Erica Page told The Voice they knew nothing about
the party for Griffin and his wife.
According to the Manor’s pricing brochure, the July 12 party
would have cost in excess of $4,500, which would not include the cost of the
additional July 11 reservation for decorating.
Town officials say the mayor is not under investigation by
RCSD, and that the Interim administrator has not asked to have him
investigated.
Since The Voice broke the story about the Manor comps and reduced fee reservations, the S.C. Ethics Commission has opened an investigating of Pugh in regard to the comped reservations.
BLYTHEWOOD – Over the weekend, The Voice emailed questions
to RCSD about the use of several words that appeared in a report issued last
week regarding the incident at the Manor on Sept. 11 when Michelle Layman went
to deliver a check for her husband.
Deputy Chief Maria Yturria, Office of Professional
Development at RCSD answered: “We are currently investigating any criminal
violations that have occurred in reference to all the referrals from citizens
and town officials. We will not comment on any issues until our investigation
is concluded.”
There are a number of investigations going on currently in
the town, but when asked if the Manor incident is under investigation by RCSD,
there was no reply from Yturria.
Manor Investigaton
After town council members voted last week for town hall to release the surveillance video of the Sept. 11 Manor incident, town hall has not asked RCSD to investigate the incident. Sources in the town government say they have no knowledge that RCSD is looking into the incident.
Town government sources also say the Town is not looking
into disciplinary action in regard to the incident.
Attorney General’s Opinion
There are multiple active investigations and an AG inquiry
concerning Blythewood officials.
After pledging to abide by the voters’ will regarding the July referendum, Mayor Sloan Griffin requested an Attorney General’s opinion as to whether it is permissible to implement a new government structure before the new government is established on Nov. 27. Town officials said the town attorney has issued an opinion on that request and that it will not be moving forward to the AG.
The SC Ethics Commission launched an investigation in August concerning the comping of reservations at the Manor. Subpoenas have been issued, and that investigation is ongoing.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) requests comments from the public on a proposed project to replace the bridge on S-20-30 (West Peach Road) over Little Cedar Creek in Fairfield County. The project includes replacing the existing bridge, realigning the roadway approaches as necessary and improving the roadway approaches to meet current design criteria.
SCDOT will accept comments from Oct. 1 – 30. The public may provide comments through the project website, by mail to Teiyanna Simmons, SCDOT, 955 Park St., Columbia, SC 29201, by calling 803-737-0272, or by email to simmonst@scdot.org.
All comments received during a project comment period will be reviewed and included in the project record. Individuals who provide comments will receive responses upon request. Please note, any information provided, including names and addresses, is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
For more information about this and other proposed SCDOT projects, please visit our public involvement comment webpage.
WINNSBORO – Russell (Russ) Brown, 44, received 97 votes
(54.49 percent) Tuesday night to handily win the District 3 Winnsboro town
council seat in a special election.
Brown, who previously served two terms on the Ridgeway town
council before moving to Winnsboro 11 years ago, bested two other candidates –
lifelong Fairfield County resident Trista Davis, who took 54 votes (30.34
percent) and newcomer to town and to politics Kimberly Uphold, who received 27
votes (15.17 percent).
The District 3 seat came open last April when Councilman
Demetrius Chatman won the mayoral election.
Following his win, Brown said he wanted to thank the voter registration office and the volunteers that helped them.
“This election went about as smooth as an election can go,”
he said. “I would also like to thank the other two candidates for keeping the
campaign cordial and pleasant. There was never any negativity.”
Asked about his priorities as the new member of council,
Brown said he wants to start at the core of downtown and work with council to
make improvements.
“We do have a capable council, and we can get some things done,” he said. “For a long time I’ve heard people say we can’t. I say we can do it. My goal is to help revitalize the town and get some positive things going in the community. I’m looking forward to the challenges and the opportunities.”
Brown and his wife Jessica are the parents of three sons,
ages 11, 9, and 5.
“The boys enjoyed helping me put out the campaign signs,” he said. “Now I hope they’re going to enjoy helping me pick them up.”
KERSHAW COUNTY – A Kershaw County jury convicted Alexander Francis Harmon of murder on Sept. 17, 2025. The Honorable Heath P. Taylor sentenced Harmon to life in the SC Department of Corrections.
Harmon
On June 2, 2018, Harmon’s father alerted Kershaw County
dispatch that Harmon confessed to shooting his girlfriend, Katelin Crocker,
after an argument. Crocker was a 2017 honor graduate of Fairfield Central High
School, a violinist, and a licensed cosmetologist.
Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at Harmon’s
home around 2 a.m. They found him on the porch, eating potato chips, smoking
cigarettes, and drinking a beer. Harmon told deputies that Crocker was dead
inside.
At the Sheriff’s Office, Harmon claimed that Crocker had the
shotgun first. He said it fired during a struggle. Deputies arrested him and
charged him with murder.
On Nov. 16, 2018, a circuit court judge granted Harmon a $150,000 surety bond. Harmon posted bond that day and soon fled South Carolina.
Crocker
While on the run, Harmon used the alias “Sean Daldry.” He
obtained government documents, insurance, and vehicle registration under the
false identity.
In December 2024, the FBI learned “Daldry” was communicating
with a 15-year-old runaway in Florida. Agents tracked him to a motel in Council
Bluffs, Iowa, where he was arrested after a brief chase.
Law enforcement confirmed “Daldry” was Harmon through
fingerprints. He was extradited to South Carolina in January 2025.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the
case. Senior Assistant Solicitor Dale Scott and Assistant Solicitor Michael
Bradbury led the prosecution. The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
BLYTHEWOOD – Following a lengthy, contentious executive session called Monday night, Sept. 22, in which Blythewood Town Council members received legal advice on “Manor operations and incidents,” council voted to release to the public a surveillance video of an incident that occurred in the Manor on Thursday, Sept. 11 involving Mayor Sloan Griffin and a Manor employee.
The Manor incident was first reported in the Sept. 18 edition of The Voice (Conflicting accounts emerge from Manor Incident). Michelle Layman, the wife of Manor Director Fred Layman, gave this account of the incident:
“I went to the Manor to give a check for payment,” Michelle
Layman said. “I have my baby and go to staff’s office to give the check.
“I was told that they will not accept my check and that I
cannot leave the building without taking it with me. When I put the check under
the office door and start to leave, the mayor and a staff member hold the front
door so I cannot leave. I get scared and become distressed when they won’t let
me out of the building. I told them I need air and that I need my medicine out
of my car, but they keep holding the door. I get exhausted and sit down in a
chair, then they stop holding the door.”
“During struggle to get out, before I sit down, I called my
husband to tell him what is happening,” Michelle Layman said. Fred Layman, who
told The Voice that he was on medical leave for cancer treatment, called 911.
Michelle Layman, who ended up in a medical emergency, was issued a trespassing notice by a Richland County Deputy. She was transported by Richland County EMS to a local hospital where she was admitted and discharged days later. Michelle Layman told The Voice that her doctors said she had suffered a mild heart attack.
The Voice received a copy of the video from the incident on Tuesday. It shows a male Manor employee holding the Manor door closed. Michelle Layman appears to be in distress as she tries to open the door and leave the building.
The posted clip does not include the footage that shows
Michelle Layman pushing her 10-month-old baby daughter in a stroller, walking
at a normal pace down a hallway towards the door to leave. As she approaches
the door a male Manor employee steps in front of her, blocking her and her baby
from leaving.
The clip posted on The Voice’s Facebook page begins with
Layman already blocked by the male staffer who can be seen holding the doors to
the Manor closed. Layman at first
appears to plead with him and the mayor and another town employee, a woman who
continues to stand and walk nearby.
As the male employee holds the door, Layman pushes on it
until the door slightly bulges out. The mayor walks over to the male employee
and they talk. The mayor then walks outside and in front of the door Michelle
Layman is trying to push.
Layman then tries to push the stroller around the male
employee to get to another door, but the male employee reaches that door ahead
of Layman and blocks it as well.
At no point does it appear that the mayor or the female
employee offer to help Michelle Layman exit the building. The female employee’s
role in the incident is not clear.
The Vote
As the council members left executive session and returned
to open session Monday night, tensions were high, with Griffin using curse
words as he approached the dais to be seated.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock made a motion.
“Mr. Mayor, I move to release the video effective
immediately in regards to the incident that occurred on Sept. 11, 2025, from
approximately 3.30 p.m. to 5.30 p. m,” Brock said.
Councilman Rich McKenrick added a friendly amendment to the
motion.
“I would suggest getting an incident report from each
employee that was present during the alleged incident and give it to the county
attorney,” McKenrick said.
In a roll call vote, Griffin joined Brock, Councilwoman
Andrea Fripp and McKenrick – a majority of the quorum – who had already voted
to pass the motion before Griffin cast his ‘yes’ vote. Councilwoman Erica Page
voted against the measure.
“It’s a public video that took place in a public place with
public employees. It needs to be released immediately. Releasing it doesn’t
change what’s on the video.”
Fripp asked if releasing the video would have a negative
impact on the ongoing investigation.
“Is there an open and active investigation into this?” Brock
questioned and then answered his own question. “No. The answer is No. So,
there’s no negative impact on the investigation because one doesn’t exist.
“Will it spur one?” he asked, then again answered.
“Absolutely. Should it? 1,000 percent.”
Both Driggers and Balthazar advised council members against
releasing the video, according to several council members.
The next day, Tuesday, Sept. 23, Driggers allowed The Voice
to have a copy of the two-hour video, but he said the Town will not post any
part of the video on the Town’s social media, website or on You Tube. He said
if anyone wants to see the video, they must bring a storage drive to town hall,
and the video will be copied on to it.
BLYTHEWOOD – A check that was presented to and rejected by the Blythewood mayor and Manor officials on Sept. 11 has helped fuel an investigation into missing Manor reservation payments by the Richland County Sheriff’s department. A story about the Sept. 11 incident appeared in the Sept. 18 edition of The Voice.
The story began with Michelle Layman, the wife of Manor
Director Fred Layman, taking a check to the Manor and ended, she said, with her
being prohibited from leaving, having a medical emergency and being transported
to a local hospital where she was treated and released three days later.
Fred Layman told The Voice that the check his wife took to
the Manor represented funds he had previously received via Cash App from a
cheerleading coach for a space she rented in the Manor for practices for her
cheer team. He said he had failed to turn the money in on time due to being on
medical leave from his job.
Fred Layman said the check was signed but not filled out
because he wasn’t sure how much was owed.
Two days later, after reading the story in The Voice, Ashanti
Thames of Palmetto Storm Cheer called The Voice to say she was the coach who
had sent money to Fred Layman’s Cash App for the check that Layman’s wife took
to the Manor.
Thames went on to say that she is now learning from town
hall officials that some of the more than $10,000 she has paid out over the
last eight months for her cheerleading team’s practice sessions at the Manor
has not been accounted for.
In an interview with The Voice, Thames described a patchwork of Cash App transfers, personal checks and cash payments she says she made to Fred Layman beginning in late October of last year. She said her cheer team practiced most Tuesdays and Thursdays and occasionally on Saturdays from the last week in October, 2024, through the spring and a few times during the summer. The program officially ended Aug. 30.
“Fred paid the Town out of his pocket. I Cash App’d the
money to him, and he’d apply it to my reservations,” Thames said.
Town officials now say that not all of those payments were credited to the cheer coach, and they say they are still not sure if any payments are missing.
The Arrangement
According to Thames, she launched the competitive squad
after branching off from a local sideline program. Fred Layman, whose daughter
was on Thames’s cheer team, suggested the team practice at the Manor, according
to both Thames and Fred Layman. She said she paid $100 per hour for practices
for her cheer students, but that after Fred Layman’s daughter dropped out of
the program a couple of months later, the fee went up to $150 per hour.
Thames said she paid $300 per day on the two weekdays ($600
per week) and $600 for longer four-hour Saturday sessions. On weeks with
Saturday practice, she estimates she was out of pocket about $1,200.
She said she learned last week from Town officials that she should have been paying $100 per hour for her cheer sessions, not $150.
Thames said her payments over the eight months to the Manor included: Cash App transfers to Layman totaling $2,950 (11 transactions); more than $4,000 in cash to Layman; $1,000 in cash to another Manor staffer, and $400 in checks to Layman and about $1,600 in checks to the Town.
While she did not receive receipts, Thames has provided The
Voice with bank screenshots and Cash App records documenting the payments. She
said the amounts she paid include three separate $500 deposits tied to
contracts she signed with Fred Layman over the course of the eight months, but
that one of the contracts is now “missing.” Fred Layman confirmed the missing
contract to The Voice. Thames said none of the $500 deposits have been returned
to her by the Town.
“I really don’t know what’s going on,” Thames said. “I kept
looking at my bank account, trying to figure out why the checks I had given
were never deposited,” she said.
Cancellations and overcharges
Beyond the missing payments, Thames said frequent
last-minute cancellations by the Manor compounded her losses. She said she
prepaid for February and March, but the team was able to practice only once in
February and twice in March due to cancellations she was told were due to
conflicting events, such as a town hall meeting and a baby shower.
She said she has since learned from town officials that the
Manor does not cancel paid reservations but, instead, moves users to different
time slots. Thames disputes that this happened consistently for her team and
says parents threatened to pull their athletes because the schedule became
erratic.
Where Things Stand
Council members have told The Voice that Driggers has shared
little with them about the investigation of both Fred Layman’s handling of the
cheerleading teams’ payments and Mayor Sloan Griffin’s alleged involvement with
comping the use of the Manor (partially or totally) for friends. They say
Driggers and the attorney have assured them that Griffin would not be involved
in the investigation concerning the missing cheer payments.
Thames, however, told The Voice that Griffin has been in
contact with her via phone several times since the Sept. 11 incident at the
Manor concerning her payments. She said Griffin was also included in a meeting
with her, Driggers, and the town attorney concerning her missing payments.
Thames said she provided town officials with Cash App logs
and bank images, and is helping to reconstruct a day-by-day practice ledger so
the Town can calculate a refund.
By her rough
estimate, Thames said the Town owes her at least “$2,000 – $3,000” for
overcharges, her payments that she said were never turned in to the Manor, and
her payments for canceled sessions. She expects that figure could rise as more
dates are reconciled. She said she does not know how many of her payments were
recorded with the Town.
Thames provided The Voice with text messages from Fred
Layman promising to repay any money that he owed her.
Thames said Palmetto Storm Cheer is “out of money” because
of the losses.
“You all owe me,” Thames recalled telling Town officials.
“My program is out of money because of this.” Thames said she’ll keep supplying
documents until every dollar is accounted for.
A Richland County EMS truck responds to a call from the Manor on Sept. 11. | Barbara Ball
BLYTHEWOOD – Michelle Layman, the wife of the Manor’s Director, Fred
Layman III, walked into the Manor – a public building – a little after 4 p.m.
with her 10-month-old baby to leave a check. She ended up with a trespassing
notice before being taken away in an ambulance.
Fred Layman, who is on medical leave from the Manor, said
the check was in place of a Cash App payment he had received for a cheerleading
program held at the Manor that he had not yet turned in. He told The Voice that
he had asked his wife to drop the check off before she picked up their children
from day care.
Michelle Layman, a petite Vietnamese-American woman, spoke with The Voice after she was discharged from the hospital on Sept. 13, giving the following account.
“I went to the Manor to give a check for payment,” Michelle
Layman said. “I have my baby and go to staff’s office to give the check.
“I was told that they will not accept my check and that I
cannot leave the building without taking it with me. When I put the check under
the office door and start to leave, the mayor and another staff member hold the
front door so I cannot leave. I get scared and become distressed when they
won’t let me out of the building. I told them I need air and that I need my
medicine out of my car, but they keep holding the door. I get exhausted and sit
down in a chair, then they stop holding the door.
“During struggle to get out, before I sit down, I called my
husband to tell him what is happening,” Michelle Layman said.
“While I am sitting in the chair trying to get air, the officers come in the door. They open the door so I can get air and they get my medicine from my car. The officer talked to the mayor. The firetruck came and fireman gave me oxygen,” she said. She said the family’s nanny headed to The Manor to pick up the baby, but that she (Michelle) was not well enough to go with them.
Richland County Sheriff’s deputies outside of The Manor during the Sept. 11 incident.
Fred Layman told The Voice that surveillance cameras cover
the area where his wife was allegedly blocked from leaving the building, and
that he has contacted the Sheriff’s Department to have the video secured. Six
days after the incident, council members say Interim Administrator Ed Driggers
has not provided them any information about the video except to say it is
secured.
In answer to an inquiry from The Voice, Driggers emailed the
following: “There is video and I have reviewed that video. It is part of an
ongoing review of the incident and other personnel matters at the Manor.”
Mayor Sloan Griffin has not answered emails or phone calls
from The Voice concerning the matter.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brock and Councilwoman Andrea Fripp
arrived at the Manor as Michelle Layman was being placed in the ambulance. A
deputy on scene spoke with both The Voice and the two council members
concerning the incident.
According to Brock, a deputy at the scene said that there
would be no report issued regarding the incident, but after three emails and
two phone calls from The Voice over a three-day period, RCSD released the
incident report on Monday, Sept. 15.
Trespass notice received by Michelle Layman.
The deputy’s incident report differs from Michelle Layman’s account of what happened, but she says the officers gathered their information from the mayor, not from her.
“…Upon arrival at the scene, …I spoke with the Mayor of
Blythewood, who reported that a female …the wife of a Blythewood employee had
entered the property without authorization and slipped a white envelope in the
main office with nothing but a person’s name on it and tried to leave,” the
incident report states.
“The Blythewood Mayor
and other officials asked her to pick it up and to leave the area. (redacted)
refused to pick up the envelope, saying that they want them to have it, which
was found out later to contain a check supposedly by (redacted) and while being
confronted (redacted) stated to have medical episode,” the report stated.
“While on scene …husband called [911] stating that his wife
was being held hostage by the mayor, which was found to be untrue,” the officer
wrote.
“(Redacted) having a medical episode, prompted a call for service by CFD [Columbia Fire Department] and RCEMS [Richland County EMS] with CFD arrived on scene first to stabilize (redacted). While CFD was working on (redacted) the enclosed envelope was collected, after (redacted) accept to take
back the envelope. Deputies were informed by the officials of Blythewood they
wanted to put (redacted) on Trespass from the property,” the report stated.
The report also stated that EMS arrived on scene and
transported (name redacted) for evaluation and medical treatment.
“This report is for the trespass notice that was issued,”
the report stated.
“Ms. Layman, in my opinion, has the right to enter Doko
Manor, just like anyone else, to conduct business,” Blythewood Mayor Pro Tem
Donald Brock said in an email response to The Voice’s request for comment.
“It’s clearly a public building, owned and held by the citizens of Blythewood.
“I am not aware of any past disturbances that occurred while
she was present, and the fact that a Richland County deputy issued her a
trespassing notice is uncalled-for at best,” Brock said. “No trespassing notice
should have been given. I would certainly expect better judgment from Richland
County moving forward.”
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
BLYTHEWOOD – Fred Gause Jr, 43, was arrested on Tuesday,
Sept. 16, following the investigation into a murder that occurred on Haygood
Road in Blythewood on Sept. 15, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s
Department.
Fred Gause Jr. | Photo: RCSD
According to an incident report from the Sheriff’s
Department, deputies responded to the 100 block of Haygood Road at
approximately 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 15 in reference to a shooting.
When deputies arrived, they located two victims inside the
residents – an adult female who was deceased and an adult make with gunshot
wounds to the upper body. Units rendered aid until fire and EMS arrived and
transported the make to a local hospital for treatment, the report stated.
The suspect fled prior to deputies’ arrival, according the
Sheriff’s department.
The Sheriff’s Department credited the community in helping
identify Gause, who was arrested on Tuesday.
“Further investigation revealed that Gause is known to frequent
the Haygood neighborhood; he does not reside there,” the department said.
“Investigators are still working to determine the connection between the
suspect and victims and what led up to the shooting.”
Gause was booked into Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on
Tuesday and charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Possession of a Weapon
during a Violent Crime. He was denied bond.
