SC Man Arrested, Charged with Murder After Women’s Bodies Found in Rural Woods

SUMTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA – Authorities have arrested a Camden man one month after the bodies of two women were discovered in a wooded clearing in the Midlands.

Victims Identified

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the remains belonged to 35-year-old Christine Marie McAbee of Walterboro and 38-year-old Kristen Grissom of North Charleston. The women were found on August 8 in a rural area near Richbow Road in Rembert, about 111 miles from Charleston County.

The coroner’s office said McAbee died from a gunshot wound, while investigators are still waiting for toxicology tests to confirm Grissom’s cause of death.

Arrest of Tiamo Henry Mitchell Drakeford

On Friday, deputies arrested 29-year-old Tiamo Henry Mitchell Drakeford, of Camden. He is facing charges of murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and desecration of human remains.

The sheriff’s office said the women’s bodies appeared to have been placed at the location after their deaths. It was the landowner who discovered the remains before calling deputies.

Ongoing Investigation

Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis noted that the case is not closed. He warned that more arrests are expected and emphasized the incident was a targeted crime, not a random act of violence…

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