1 arrested, 1 wanted in connection with stabbing death of man found in burning house
08/15/2024 11:55 am PDT
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (TCN) -- Officials recently arrested a man and are searching for another after firefighters found a deceased man inside a burning home last month.
According to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, on July 20, local fire personnel responded to an overnight house fire on Oak Ridge Lane, where they located the body of a man, later identified by deputies as Caldwell Melton Motley Jr. Responders found another victim with severe injuries inside a shed on the property, and he was transported to a hospital and survived.
The sheriff’s office alleges that 39-year-old Edward Smith fatally stabbed Motley and struck the second victim with an edged object. Through interviews, evidence, and electronic data, authorities learned Smith was reportedly at the Oak Ridge Lane residence shortly before someone called 911 to report the fire.
Deputies arrested Smith on Tuesday, Aug. 13. He remains held in the Lexington County Detention Center without bond on charges of murder and attempted murder.
The sheriff’s office said another man, 33-year-old Donovan Holman, is wanted on charges related to the case, but authorities did not specify how he was involved in the incident.
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