3 teens charged in missing Dillon woman’s death
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Teen suspect leads Dillon investigators to body...
Police are investigating a suspicious death after a teenage suspect in the case led them to a body thought to be that of a missing Dillon woman. The body of a woman was discovered Tuesday on a rural...
Contributed
Mary Alice Stutts
and Jamie Rogers
Published: August 19, 2009
Updated: August 20, 2009
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.
Reader Reactions
YesMaam, you are so right. I hate to say this but I’m going to and I know I will get some angry comments but here goes. Go on the fcso.org website for example and look and the majority of the arrests are black. I’m not saying that white people do not commit crimes but the truth is the truth. I am sick and tired of hearing on the news about people getting killed. It is sad and I am scared to know that my children are being raised in this world. Children learn from their parents and if the parents show hate and act like the world owes them then the children are going to grow up the same way. This was an elderly lady that worked all her life and raised her children and these good for nothing thugs took her life. Now, they are gonna sit behind bars and continue to live off the government. Eye for an eye! They should be strung up by their toes and let that poor lady’s family have their way.
So people are ignorant racists if they think that famileys should take more responsability in their childrens lives. But you are not a raciest if you are one of three black punks who take the life of a 75 year old white women who was minding her own business in her own home. mcneil626 shove it up you…..
dont think I said anything about racism…hold on lemme check…mmmm NOPE! I said they probably are living off our government money, because 1) they didn’t go to school like the 15 year old did, and 2) they OBVIOUSLY dont have jobs, and if youre not in school and over the age then youre not eligible for commercial insurance, which only leaves medicaid (government) and if you don’t have a job, where do you get money from…Geee…hmm…lets see..oh i know..GOVERNMENT..you obviously are the one who took it wrong. And anyway its put, its always going to seem “racial” to those who must ALWAYS think EVERYTHING is racial when it comes to blacks commiting crimes. It comes down to these boys should be put out of this world, and that would be a few less I have to worry about supporting =)—oh and plus they are the ones that “TECHNICALLY” are racist, three BLACK guys against one WHITE elderly lady? what was so special about her…? she didn’t LIVE in the black neighborhood…so therefore they came to HER neighborhood, which is majority white, and took advantage of her in her own home. but once again, those of us that speak the TRUTH are always the ones that are RACIST…
To Mcneil:
I am pretty sure that if you raise your kid 100% the way they should be raised they would not be out on the streets killing elderly people. ummm hello?? Wake up! Lets do some investigating and see if these boys were living off the government. We are all probably 99.9% right. If this were a 75 year old black lady these comments would be the same. They took an elderly woman’s life for no reason at all. Black or white who cares it was senseless!!!! I just don’t understand how you could defend anyone in this situation? That obviously makes you no better.
It’s not about being racist, it’s about stupidity. I’m sure everyone would being saying the same things if it were a couple of white thugs. The truth is the truth. Everyone needs to quit blaming society for all their problems and look in their own back yard. These thugs should be out working a JOB but instead, they want to take from someone else because it’s easier. I say everyone needs to wake up and the legal system go back to an eye for an eye because if not, they are still gonna be living off our tax dollars in jail.
Oh my God!! You people are sick. What does their family have to do with it? Nothing. You can raise your kids right 100% and they still can commit stupid crimes. The guys at columbine came from good families. So did alot of serial killers in the past. Something like this always brings out the ignorant racists. I mean comments like “living off the system”? So if it were a black 75 year old lady I wonder if some of you ignorant people would post your stupid racist comments.
ok, so the other person, who I might add is 15—gets off easy, because he was 15? and not two years older??? thats crazy, if he was MAN enough to do an ADULT crime, give his sorry butt some ADULT penalty. and Danali, I also agree with you. They probably have been living off our tax money, and they will resume to if they LIVE in jail. I think it should be an eye for an eye…we should shove each of them into a trunk and carry them somewhere (with shackles and cuffs on) and then everyone of the family memebers of Mrs. Stutts should get a few licks in, then shoot them! oh and did I mention leave them for trash on the side of some deserted road..? Bet they wouldn’t like it so much then!! Im sure their family is PROUD! well I would be proud to see justice brought out fairly on them…
“They both look semi-retarded. Their mother was probably on drugs when she was pregnant. They’ve both probably been living off of our tax dollars their whole lives. We should form an ‘angry mob’ and show up at the court house when they have a hearing. You always hear,“don’t take the law into your own hands” but that’s part of the problem. Criminals are safe from an angry backlash from the public. WE THE PEOPLE need to make some changes in the way WE let OUR judicial system work”
...I couldn’t agree more.
They both look semi-retarded. Their mother was probably on drugs when she was pregnant. They’ve both probably been living off of our tax dollars their whole lives. We should form an ‘angry mob’ and show up at the court house when they have a hearing. You always hear,“don’t take the law into your own hands” but that’s part of the problem. Criminals are safe from an angry backlash from the public. WE THE PEOPLE need to make some changes in the way WE let OUR judicial system work.
people if the real problems are not soon addressed we can expect many, many more cases such as this!!!
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