Clinton wellness check leads to murder charges
Stephen K. Brown
A Clinton man has been charged by Clinton Police in the death of his roommate following a wellness check at a Poplar Street residence in the Lydia Mill community, said Clinton Police Chief Michael Addison.
Addison said in a release that Hector Luis Santos Cartagena, 59, had not been seen by neighbors in more than a week, and they called police for a welfare check Wednesday.
During the investigation, officers located Santos Cartagena deceased inside the home and determined he had been murdered. An autopsy was scheduled to determined the cause of death.
Stephen Kristopher Brown, 23, who has been identified as the victim’s roommate, was arrested and faces murder charges. According to booking information from the Laurens County Detention Center, Brown is from Richland. Brown has also been charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, desecration of human remains and ill-treatment of animals.
A bond hearing for Brown was expected to be held Thursday afternoon.
The investigation is ongoing by SLED, the Laurens County Coroner’s Office and SLED.
Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Clinton Police Department at 864-833-7512, email [email protected], or call Laurens County Crime Stoppers at 864-68-CRIME.
