Area News
8th Circuit to seek death penalty in toddler’s murder
The man accused of sexually assaulting and beating a small boy to death this past June could face the death penalty. Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo and Laurens County Sheriff Don Reynolds released a joint statement Tuesday morning that prosecutors will seek the death penalty against William Ryan Looper for the June 30 murder of…
Read MoreLCSO seeking suspects in robberies, car theft
Investigators from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office are seeking information from the public on two recent thefts, one in Hickory Tavern and the other in Clinton. On Monday, LCSO deputies investigated a break-in at 3S International on Neely Ferry Road in Hickory Tavern. According to the LCSO, the perpetrators broke into the business and stole…
Read MoreAlleged owner of ‘Courage’ found, arrested
The Gray Court man accused of leaving a dog to starve on a chain in a wooded area in Gray Court was arrested Thursday on animal cruelty charges. Michael Christopher Yeargin was booked into the Johnson Detention Center, charged with ill-treatment of animals and has since been released on bond. Deputies from the Laurens County Sheriff’s…
Read MoreCounty, state brace for Hurricane Florence
Laurens County Swift Water Response Team headed to coast While parts of the state continue to brace for Hurricane Florence, which is due to hit the South and North Carolina coastlines late Thursday night, a group of local firefighters will be heading into the storm. Eight members of the Laurens County Swift Water Response Team…
Read MoreLCSO seeking suspect in animal cruelty case
Deputies from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office are seeking a Gray Court man in connection with a case of animal cruelty. “Courage,” a pit bull terrier mix, was found by deputies in response to a call from a person in the Carriage Farms Court area of Gray Court. The dog was found nearly starved to…
Read MoreArrest made in Clinton hit and run
An arrest was made Tuesday night by Clinton Public Safety after a hit-and-run incident that shut down Calhoun Street and caused a lockdown of the Presbyterian College Campus. Willie Fred Walker, Jr., 39, faces multiple charges relating to the incident, including hit-and-run, failure to stop for a blue light, driving under the influence, illegal possession…
Read More2 killed in Labor Day accidents
The Labor Day holiday turned deadly in Laurens County as an 18-year-old Lander University student and a Gray Court man were killed in separate accidents. Justin Moser, 30, was driving an ATV at his residence on Marler Road in Gray Court. According to S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Gary Miller, Moser lost control of the…
Read MoreClinton street closed, reopened after Tuesday night hit and run
Update 10:50 p.m. Clinton, South Carolina – No one was injured in a hit and run which forced the temporary closure of Calhoun Street in Clinton Tuesday night. Officers with the Clinton Department of Public Safety and Presbyterian College Safety were able to apprehend the driver who caused the accident, said DPS Director Robin Morse. The driver,…
Read MoreLPD searching for man who escaped custody
The Laurens Police Department is seeking a man who escaped custody Friday afternoon after being arrested on domestic violence charge. According to LPD Assistant Chief Maj. Chrissie Cofield, Tevin Oneil Brown made an escape from the LPD’s holding facility after being booked on the domestic violence charge. Brown reportedly pushed away from an officer while…
Read MoreLaurens man gets 25 years for sex crimes with minors
A Laurens man prosecutors called a “child predator” was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to assaulting three girls under the age of 9 over about a one-year period. James Edward Redd, Jr., 31, pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, first-degree criminal sexual exploitation of a minor…
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