3 teens charged in missing Dillon woman's death

DILLON — Three suspects — including a 15-year-old boy — have been charged in connection with the death of a 75-year-old Dillon woman reported missing Tuesday morning.

THE SUSPECTS

Damian Inman

Lorenzo Inman

Brothers Damian Inman, 17, and Lorenzo Inman, 18, are charged with murder, first-degree burglary, armed robbery, kidnapping and grand larceny, Dillon County Capt. Cliff Arnette said.

The 15-year-old is charged with murder, but also might be charged with kidnapping pending the ongoing investigation, Arnette said.

The body of the woman discovered Tuesday on a rural dirt road was positively identified Wednesday afternoon as Mary Alice Stutts, Arnette said.

Stutts was reported missing from her West Calhoun Street home by a friend who came to check on her, according to a Dillon Police Department incident report.

Stutts’ friend tried to reach her several times by phone before arriving at the house to find its side door open, her car missing, and Stutts nowhere to be found, according to the report.

Billy Allen, a friend of Stutts, described her Wednesday as a “very sweet girl.

“I’ve been knowing her three-quarters of my life, raised up together, went to school ... (she) had a wonderful family, husband,” Allen said, “and it’s just a tragic accident that had to happened to a wonderful person.”

Allen said he thinks he speaks for all of Stutts’ family and friends when he says she’ll be missed.

“She was a church-going girl, ever since I’ ve known her ... boiled down to it, she’s just a loving girl, a hard working girl,” he said. “Everybody I imagine, feels the way I do ... just hate that it happened ...

“I’m going to miss the old girl, but she’s with the Lord, that’s for sure.”

Later Tuesday, two of the suspects were seen by Dillon police driving Stutts’ White 1999 Toyota Camry.

A vehicle pursuit that ensued turned into a foot chase after the suspect lodged the car on some nearby railroad tracks, Dillon County Sheriff Major Hulon said.

One of the two suspects taken into custody led authorities to the body, just outside of Little Rock on S.C. 9.

Investigators said that same suspect, a teen boy, told them the identity of a third suspect, who was taken into custody at Dillon High School where he’s a student.

One of the suspects told police the teen went to school as usual after the suspects kidnapped the victim, shoved her in the trunk of her car before shooting her at close range and leaving her body on the dirt road.

Autopsy results indicating the cause and manner of Stutts’ death are not yet available.

The teen told police they turned up the volume on the car radio to muffle the sounds of the victim screaming and struggling in the trunk of the car.

Investigators said that at some point, the three suspects drove the car to a scrap yard, where they tried to sell it.

Employees at the scrap yard would not buy the car because the suspects didn’t have the proper paperwork showing they were the owners.

Investigators have not released a motive for the attack or why Stutts was targeted.

A hearing for the adult suspects might take place as early as next week, but there will be an immediate detention hearing sometime soon for the juvenile, Arnette said.