Bond denied for suspects in fatal hotel shooting
John D. Russell/Morning News
Florence County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit Cpl. Adam Moore collects evidence at the Thunderbird Inn on Monday morning in Florence where 83-year-old World War II veteran Clair C. Chaffin was fatally shot.
Published: June 11, 2009
Bond has been denied for the two suspects accused of killing a decorated World War II veteran outside a Florence hotel room Monday morning.
Sylvester Davis, 25, of Darlington, was arrested about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday after a brief vehicle chase in Darlington County, Sheriff Kenney Boone said. Davis was in a stolen Chevy Tahoe when he was spotted by law enforcement officers near Holly Circle in Darlington County.
Dondre Scott, 17, also of Darlington, was arrested about 5:30 p.m. Monday at a residence on Pisgah Road in Darlington County, Boone said.
Davis and Scott each face a murder charge in connection with Clair C. Chaffin’s death. Each also is charged with four counts of armed robbery.
SUSPECTS
Sylvester Davis Jr., left, and Dondre Scott were arrested in connection with the shooting death of 83-year-old World War II veteran Clair C. Chaffin.
SLED BACKGROUND CHECKS
Read the SLED background checks for Sylvester Davis, 25, of Darlington and Dondre Scott, 16, also of Darlington, who were arrested and charged in the shooting death of Clair C. Chaffin at the Thunderbird Inn in Florence June 8.
Florence County Magistrate Belinda Timmons denied bond for both men on the armed robbery charges after a hearing Wednesday afternoon in Effingham, saying she felt they are a danger to society, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
According to state law enforcement division records, Davis has an extensive arrest record dating back to 2003 and has been charged with more than five felonies.
In September 2003 Davis was arrested by Florence police and charged with manufacturing and/or possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute near a school, unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of a stolen pistol, possession of a stolen vehicle and assault of a police officer while resisting arrest.
For both the misdemeanor weapon charge and misdemeanor resisting arrest charge, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail and court costs in March 2004.
In March 2004, he was sentenced to three years in jail suspended to six months for the stolen vehicle charge, a felony.
The disposition of the remaining charges, all felonies, wasn’t clear from SLED reports.
In November 2003, Davis was arrested by Darlington police and charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of grand larceny and second-degree burglary, all felonies. In October, he was again arrested by Darlington police for public drunkenness.
In January, SLED records show, Davis’ probation was revoked.
Timmons said the suspects will be arraigned in general sessions court Aug. 7 for the murder charge.
“I think this is going to be a death penalty case,” Boone said Tuesday.
Prosecutors are considering that option, 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements III said.
The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits the death penalty being sought against someone under the age of 18, however, Clements said.
Twelfth Circuit attorneys would have to determine who exactly pulled the trigger, then will decide how to pursue the case, he said.
Chaffin, 83 of Archer, Fla., was shot Monday while he was in the process of packing his vehicle after being confronted by two men in an attempted armed robbery about 7 a.m. at the Thunderbird Inn, located at 2004 W. Lucas St., at the U.S. 52/Interstate 95 intersection.
Chaffin was taken to an area hospital, where he later died. An autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston confirmed the cause of his death as a gunshot wound to the chest area, Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews said.
Chaffin’s shooting is directly related to a robbery that happened in Richland County at 2 a.m. Sunday, Boone said.
That crime happened at the Motel 6 located at 7541 Nates Road where an off-duty probation agent was robbed at gunpoint of her credentials and state-issued .40-caliber handgun, according to a press release issued Monday by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
The probation agent was working a security detail at the motel when two unknown black men approached her while she was sitting in her car, Lott said.
The agent said the suspects fled in a burgundy Nissan bearing S.C. license tag DDE 725, which Lott said matched the description of the vehicle involved in Monday morning’s fatal Florence County shooting.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the weapon used in the Florence homicide is the same as the weapon stolen in the Richland County robbery, Boone said.
State and federal charges against the suspects are being pursued, Boone said.
The suspects will likely continue to be detained in Effingham because of the seriousness of the charges they face in Florence County, Boone said. At some point, other agencies will send deputies copies of warrants and detainers relating to the suspects.
A third person in custody will likely be charged in connection with an armed robbery involving the suspects, but not in connection with Chaffin’s death, Boone said. The identity of that person hasn’t been released.
These crimes remain under investigation, and anyone with information about them is asked to call the state Crime Stoppers hotline at (888) CRIME SC (274-6372). Callers need not reveal their identities.
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realtalk
thank u ,,if u could have read it then it’s all good i got my point across.so the spelling couldn’t have been to bad.
Wow this has really became a heated debate. It doesn’t matter what color any involved are and even if this were a homeless man that was shot and killed he DID NOT deserve to die. These guys are old enough to know right from wrong. Prison is too good for people like this. Gosh Prison you get feed 2 or 3 meals a day when its hot outside their nice and cool and when its cold out their nice and warm. People in prison are having it better then most hard working honest people doing all they can to make a living these days.
I sincerly feel if you take a life excluding self/defense cases then YES you should receive the death penalty. I get so tired of hearing the excuse of well he/she had a rough life we all have the choice to be a good person or a bad it DOES NOT matter what you came up in YOU HAVE A CHOICE!!!! and I have to say THANK YOU to all law enforcement. Crime is getting bad every where but can you imagine how much worse it would be if they were no law enforcement? Our officers can’t be every where at one time that’s why we as a community have to look out for our families, and neighbors. So many people see something that they know is wrong and they choose to ignore it. Quit being afraid and let’s take our communities back!!!!
local if i said anything in anyway to hurt ur feeling i’am truly sorry maybe u miss understood me.i no getting on here u have to be very careful of what u say and how u say it so again i’am sorry.
You know, I have never commented on an article until now. These two thugs (and yes, that is what they are) belong under the jail as well as anyone else who commits such an awful crime. It is NOT about race, it is about right and wrong. So they had a bad childhood, well, so have a lot of other people and it is no excuse. If you really look at the big picture, it about laziness and not race. Their are people who go out and rob someone because they do not want a real job and they don’t care if they kill. Well, I say let the two THUGS fry! It is time to start showing the next generation and everyone else that if you do the crime, you do the time and maybe it will stop some of these awful crimes. Also, I do not call them thugs because they are black. I call all trash black and white thugs!!!
The whole situation is sad. We are to care about all, we are to follow proper procedures for law. We have to take it as it is now…Lord touch the hurt and hurting ones that will forever be affected…life is so precious, and more than one life has been taken in this….....
This is for maryhadalittlelamb when you get on here please use SPELL CHECK. I said what I had to say because it is the truth. These two young men have families and so did the victim but both sides are hurting and that is just the truth. If you don’t understand that then you are a cruel person. I am not siding with anyone but I have the right to my own opinion. Thank you very much. To reddog first of all you know that the suspects are black because there pictures are plastered on this site BIG FOOL. You are the ignorant one because people never call white people hoodlums or thugs when they commit a crime they leave those comments for black people. There are alot of harsh words being said about the two individuals and I think that its being said because of there skin color. You said you went through dfferent comments and didnt see anything about color but you idiot there picture is on this site you ignorant jack tail. Yall have a good one because people are going to say what they want and it really does not matter because at the end of the day what is done is done and no ones comments can bring the WWII vet back. Yes this is a sad situation but I think the only thing left to do is PRAY and PRAY hard because in these days and times the only one we can look up to is GOD not MAN.
My cooment is to maryhadaliitle lamb/ Please do not think that you are right about if it were you family member up for murder that everyone would fell different,cause that is so untrue as a family member of a murderer i wanted true justice for what had happen to an innocient man and his family not only was one family member the brain of the cruel act but a second member was found to be a part of it.I didn’t want them on the street to put my childeren and family in dager.I wanted them to suffer for their choice of being worthless.They served time but for me that wasn’t good enough
Believe it or not, but I am a school teacher and the younger suspect D. Scott was a recent and fellow student of mine. Besides me viewing him as a student I even viewed him as a person. What I mean by this is that I had several converstations with D. Scott concerning his home life on numerous occasions. And having to say, I and along with everyone else whose leaving comments, should consider themselves blessed. I’m not going to share with any of you all what was discussed between me and D. Scott. Just let it be known that his life outside of school (meaning at home) is SAD. And when I mean SAD I mean SAD. Now his homelife and up bringing should not be an excuse for what he did (alleged murderer). However the sad part is that he has to suffer due to the negligence of his parent. Now both he and his parents has to suffer.
Final question, how can a child know that a stove is hot if they were never told that it’s hot?
this is so sad for both the victim (and family) along with the suspects (and family)
1st of all… my thoughts and prayers goes out to the grieving family… God will guide you all through this terrible situation… ok, with that said, I think it is very immature & ignorant how people are on here arguing… this forum should be used to express your feelings and thoughts to the families that will suffer from this horrendous crime… both families have to overcome this ruthless act… the family of the innocent, a man that fought to protect the family of those two men & the U.S family… and also the family of the two men, that has to face life daily with unfriendly comments and the fact of their loved ones having so much hate in their hearts (the muscular organ that is, because one’s heart should never be stored with hate)… this will be an ongoing battle until the final court date… the family of Mr. Chaffin will have to face these two men in court, and hear every detail of what went on during this ignorant crime… then you have the other family having to carry this crime on their backs, wondering how this will affect everyday life… I don’t applaud the two men on this hate crime & I definitely don’t applaud some of you that is saying they should be hung… trust & believe, the two of them will get what they were looking for… killing the elderly, robbery, carrying a firearm, and killing a U.S veteran… My thoughts are with Mr. Chaffin and his family… I know this will be a rough journey, but God will be there to order your footsteps… Be Blessed Mr. Chaffin’s family & the American people… xoxoxo
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