Former deputy, wife indicted in his mother's, stepfather's slayings

A former Florence County sheriff’s deputy, who was suspected of killing his mother and stepfather in Nesmith, and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to the deaths.

Timothy James Poole, 35, and Jodie Ann Poole, 33, both of Florence, are in federal custody after a federal grand jury issued an indictment against them Thursday, according to a press release issued Friday by U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins.

The indictment charges the Pooles with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 17 counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Each count in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Under federal law, sentences for separate counts can be ordered to run consecutively.

The indictment charges that as part of the conspiracy, Timothy Poole shot and killed his adoptive mother, Linda Poole Hilton, and stepfather, William Henry "Bubba" Hilton Jr. of Nesmith at their Lakewood Plantation on Aug. 2, 2006, then “caused mailings in order to fraudulently benefit from her trust and estate,” according to the release.

The indictment further alleges that Timothy and Jodie Poole concealed Timothy Poole’s involvement in the murder to preserve his status as an heir and to insure his eligibility to receive income from various trusts and estates immediately, rather than at the end of his mother’s natural life.

Timothy Poole, who served as a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office from 1997 to 2002, originally was arrested in connection with the deaths of his mother and stepfather Nov. 22, 2006. But he was released Dec. 27 by William Driggers, a part-time Williamsburg County magistrate, who ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to send the case before a grand jury.

Poole had been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

The body of Linda Hilton, who owned and operated a Pawleys Island store, was found in the yard of her residence, while her husband’s body was found inside the house, Williamsburg County Sheriff Kelvin Washington said in a previous interview

The Hiltons had been shot multiple times and were probably killed the night before their bodies were discovered by a caretaker, Washington said.

The daughter and son of Bubba Hilton said in an August interview with WBTW News13 that hearing the news of the couple’s death sent a shockwave over the family.

“It’s just panic, it’s fear, it’s rage… I mean, you are so upset,” said daughter Kimberly Hilton-Reeves. “I couldn’t think. All I did was cry. I started throwing up. It’s a feeling like I don’t want anyone else to ever have to feel.”

“Words can’t describe it,” son Michael Hilton said. “I guess I was in shock ... it didn’t really set in I guess, until the day of the funeral.”

“I wasn’t even notified (of Poole’s preliminary hearing),” Hilton-Reeves said.

“I happened to call to get an update and whoever I spoke with said, ‘You don’t know?’ and I said, ‘No,’” she said. “They said, ‘Well we had a preliminary hearing today and he’s being released within the hour,’ and I said, ‘Wow.’”

Bubba Hilton’s children say they question the authority of the magistrate judge in the case, and wonder why the case didn’t make it to a higher court.

No other suspects have been identified in the crime.Washington said investigators think greed was the motive.

This series of events was very troubling for Bubba Hilton’s children, who say they’ve had a hard time coming to grips with what happened.

The family of the murder victims say they are looking for justice in the case and an end to their two-year-long ordeal.

“Not being able to tell your loved one goodbye is not a good feeling,” Hilton-Reeves said. “Just to have closure in this case would be good. I mean, I don’t have words to say what it would feel like.”

This case also was investigated by the FBI, State Law Enforcement Division, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service,, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rose Mary Parham and Buddy Bethea of the Florence office.