A South Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a double murder where the bodies of two women were discovered in a clearing, authorities said this week.
Arrest Details
Tiamo Drakeford, 29, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and desecration of human remains, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. His arrest comes nearly a month after the bodies of Christine McAbee, 35, and Kristen Grissom, 38, were found dead.
Discovery of the Bodies
On August 8, around 1:20 p.m., deputies responded to a call from a landowner on Richbow Road in rural Sumter County. The landowner had found the bodies and reported that they appeared to have been “placed” at the location, suggesting that the women were murdered elsewhere before being dumped off in the clearing.
Their bodies were believed to have remained there for at least a day before being discovered.
Victims’ Autopsies and Cause of Death
An autopsy revealed that McAbee died from a gunshot wound. However, an autopsy on Grissom did not show any physical trauma, and her cause of death is pending a toxicology report, according to local NBC affiliate WIS.
Investigation and Arrest
Authorities believe the two women knew each other, although the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear.
Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis praised the collaborative efforts of various agencies, including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in securing Drakeford’s arrest. He described the crime as “targeted.”
Sheriff Dennis emphasized that while Drakeford’s arrest is an important development, the investigation is ongoing, and further arrests are expected.
As of Friday, Drakeford was being held at the Sumter County Detention Center.
