Son, daughter of slain man react to Poole guilty verdict

SANTEE — More than three years after the slayings of Henry “Bubba” Hilton Jr. and his wife, Linda Poole-Hilton, feelings of hurt, anger and sadness remain a part of the lives of their family.

A little more than a week ago, Timothy Poole was convicted of all charges in a 20-count federal indictment that alleged he shot and killed his mother, Poole-Hilton, and stepfather, Hilton, so he could gain money from their multi-million dollar estate.

Kim Reeves and Michael Hilton, Henry Hilton’s two children, were among those who testified for the government during their stepbrother’s 10-day federal trial in Florence and spoke about what it was like to hear graphic details of their father’s demise.

Reeves said she welcomed the opportunity to testify, but it was emotional to see photos of the crime scene and autopsies.

On Aug. 1, 2006, prosecutors said, Poole went to the Hiltons’ Lakewood Plantation home and shot both of them — first his stepfather, then his mother —execution-style.

“We had waited three and a half years for some sort of answers,” Reeves said. “You always wonder what Daddy was doing, or you wonder, did Miss Linda know Daddy was dead inside?

“To this day, I don’t think she knew. That’s the kind of things you wonder, even though it doesn’t matter. They are both in heaven now. But you pick (things) apart.”

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.

Michael Hilton said he felt anger as he sat in the federal courtroom each day and saw Poole.

“The hardest part is knowing the person who killed your dad is sitting about 20 feet from you,” he said.

Reeves and Hilton both said they didn’t know Poole or his wife, Jodie Ann, well.

Jodie Poole, charged in the same federal indictment as her husband, testified Feb. 25 her husband asked her to lie about his whereabouts on the evening of the Hiltons’ murders. She signed an agreement with prosecutors in February granting her full immunity from further prosecution in exchange for her testimony in her husband’s trial.

“I’m angry,” Reeves said. “And I feel sorry for Jodie. But I’m mad at her, too. She was probably scared for her life. If he can kill his own momma, I’m sure he can kill his wife.”

Though portions of the testimony were difficult to hear, Reeves and Hilton said they are happy they were allow to be present for the duration of the trial.

Prior to the trial, it was unclear if the family members who were slated to testify would be permitted to be present during the trial because of the potential for other testimony to alter their own. U.S. District Court Judge Bryan Harwell later granted permission to the family to be present throughout the trial.

U.S. Department of Justice victim’s advocate Clarissa Whaley was instrumental in the family being allow to be in the courtroom, Reeves said.

“Clarissa fought that tooth and nail for us,” she said. “I can’t emphasize how important victim’s advocates are. For the longest time, we didn’t have one.”

Reeves said Whaley and her counterpart, Pamela Gregory, advocated for her family during the entire federal process.

Because of their work, Reeves, a nurse, said she would like to one day be a victim’s advocate.

On Wednesday — more than a week after Poole was convicted — Reeves said her outlook is positive.

“I cried as every count was read,” she said. “I know all the right things have been done. It’s still hard, very hard. It’s not going to bring them back. Justice will be served and the person who did this will at least get some sort of a punishment in this life.”

Every day, Hilton and Reeves said, they remember their father. He was a man who believed in hard work, Reeves said.

“I am proud to be called his daughter,” she said.

Henry Hilton worked a regular full-time job and farmed his land, his son said.

“If you can paint a perfect picture of a father and son relationship, that was us. He was my father, my mentor, my coach,” he said. “He made sure me and my sister both learn how to make a living and you worked hard for your money. He loved us both and he brought us up right.”

After Henry Hilton’s death, Michael Hilton took over where his father left off and begin working the fields his father once worked.

“It doesn’t sink in for a long time. I think I woke up every morning thinking my dad was still living,” he said. “I don’t put that upon anybody to go through.”

Hilton children said they will be there when Poole is sentenced within the next couple of months.

“I will be there and I will speak. I will say something,” Reeves said.