Three charged in slaying of Florence woman
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By Patricia Burkett
WBTW Anchor/ Reporter
Published: August 27, 2008
FLORENCE — Two Florence men and a teen have been arrested in connection with the death of a 69-year-old Florence woman whose body was found early Wednesday morning on the northeast side of Florence.
Willie Mae Hayes had been reported missing by her family Monday. An autopsy showed she died of multiple stab wounds to her upper body, Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews said.
David Gerrard Johnson, 22, of 419 W. Sumter St., and Rashawn Jerome Bailey, 19, of 114 Liberty St., are each charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, Chief Anson Shells said during a press conference Wednesday morning.
A 14-year-old boy also faces those charges in connection with the case and has been taken to the state Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, Florence Police Maj. Carlos Raines said.
Both men are convicted felons whose criminal records include burglary charges, according to State Law Enforcement Division arrest reports.
Bailey had been released from the Florence County Detention Center in Effingham on Aug. 21 on a $20,000 surety bond for second-degree violent burglary and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Investigators, with the help of witnesses, were able to identify people thought to know the circumstances surrounding Hayes’ disappearance, according to a press release from Shells.
SLED helicopter agents attempted to conduct an an aerial search of the property near Hayes’ home and the perimeter of Florence on Tuesday afternoon but were thwarted by the weather. SLED, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service all assisted in the investigation.
Family members last spoke with Hayes about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Her family suspected something was wrong when they couldn’t reach her and she didn’t show up to work Monday at a day-care center where she is employed, Raines said.
Police began to investigate Monday afternoon soon after she was reported missing, Raines said. When officers arrived at her home in the 200 block of West Liberty Street, it looked like someone had forced his or her way inside.
Several items, in addition to Hayes’ car, were stolen from her home, Raines said.
Officers later found Hayes’ vehicle backed into a parking space at an apartment complex on Roughfork Street, which is about a block from her home. Raines said it appears people other than Hayes had been in the car recently.
Hayes’ body was found about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning in a ditch on Malloy Street, a dirt road that meets with Wilson Road. Her body had been wrapped in a bedspread from her home and concealed by weeds, investigators said.
“I just can’t understand how someone could be so cruel, and so uncaring for another human being, especially a senior citizen,” Hayes’ brother, Marion Dolford, said. “I started to lose hope, but I have a deep faith in Christ and so I hoped for the best, but deep inside was expecting the worst, and unfortunately it turned out that it was the worst news that I could have possibly ever gotten.
“There was a sinking feeling inside, that told me this was the inevitable news,” he said. “It was crushing. It was one of those feelings that no one would every want to experience. It was something that I shall remember for the rest of my life. It actually changed my life and so it goes deep, extremely deep.”
“We extend our deepest sympathy and our prayers to the family of Ms. Hayes,” Shells said in his release. “We know that nothing can reverse what has happened, but we hope that these and future arrests bring some closure for the family.”
Ernest Dolford, another of Hayes’ brothers, said the discovery of his sister’s body and the arrest of two suspects brings the family some relief.
“As the time went by, I began to lose hope already anyhow, but since she had been found, there was a relief to know that at least we had her back ... even in that state, but at least we had her back,” he said. “We’ll just stay close together, we’ll pray, spend all the time we can with each other, especially with the younger ones and encourage them to hang tough and do their best to live a life like their mother, their aunt, our sister.
“She was loved by her family, loved by her community and by her church, where she was very faithful.”
Willie Jones, who’d been Hayes’ neighbor since the 1960s, agreed.
“She was a kind person. She was an easygoing person,” Jones said. “(She) loved to go to church. She been in three or four, five things at church.”
Jones also described Hayes as a good neighbor and can’t believe she was the victim of such a violent crime.
“We all around here is good neighbors. We love one another, do things for one another,” she said. “That somebody could be so mean and selfish to come and just take her from her home ... You know what I mean? That’s bad. I couldn’t understand it.”
— WBTW News 13’s Mackenzie Taylor contributed to this report.
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Posted by ( ladykatherine@earthlink.net ) on September 04, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I have read all of the comments left on this article about the death of Mrs. Hayes. Every person has an opinion - but it is senseless to start bashing an individual or a group of people such as police personnel. I am sure the police are capable of their job performance and are like every police department in the USA. All of us must live by some sort of rules and I am sure there are rules they must abide by. The police, nor judges made the criminals - criminals! They managed to accomplish this by themselves! A dear lady’s life was taken by these criminals and cannot be undone - so why all the bashing? Crime is not limited to the City or County of Florence! It is rampart in every city in the US. That is a fact and reality! I think that a lot of people that have posted bashing comments about police and direct people have lost their objectivity of this situation. This lady lost her life and this is what must be considered. This has become too personal for some of you who have loved ones in law envoforcement or have friends in law enforcement. Instead of bashing or pointing fingers - unite and see what you can do to prevent this from happening again!
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Posted by ( concerned14u ) on September 03, 2008 at 11:20 pm
OK I havent read any of the posts after my last one until today!!
First I don’t know why the Gator22 and Citizens Rights are even waisting their breath or typing skills because the crime happened in the CITY!!
Second- lets go to the bashing of Law Enforcment!! SHAME ON YOU!! CORUPT COPS? Let me tell you something Mine like Montgomery 28’s Husband is a COP and he gets soo mad because he arrests the same people every couple weeks so You CANT TELL ME The Judges Completely do their Jobs and it all the Polices Faults. WHATEVER!! If you do not think that some, NOT ALL,but some, of the Judges and Solicitors are “CORUPT” YOU ARE BLIND!!
SO as OUR Husbands go out and DO THEIR JOBS and risk their lives to attempt to keep these animals behind bars as as the jusges sit behind their desk in a suit and tie and let them out PLEASE
Do Not Bash all the officers out their who DO know the law and DO do their job. I do understand that there are some officers who shouldnt be Officers because they couldn’t even pass the assessments tests. But I can tell you Mr. Baily WAS IN JAIL for a Violent Crime and a repeat offender and he was let out 4 days before he killed Ms. Hayes!! The guy who killed Geraldine Scott, SAME THING he was out on probation. WELL IF HE WAS IN JAIL, WHO LET THEM OUT? Well I know who didnt let them out!! We can argue till we scream but it doesnt change the fact that REPEAT CRIMINALS killed these women. Even if It Is the POLICE’s Fault if they are a REPEATER KEEP THEM IN JAIL! HELLO because they are probably going to get out and REPEAT what they did before!!
Montomery28 I am with you girl!! Also go to www.myspace.com/attackmenot . That is the best way My husband and I found to keep me safe in a non-lethal way!! Proud Cops Wife!!
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Posted by ( Montgomery28 ) on September 03, 2008 at 7:47 am
To CitizenRights: FIRST: I am so tired of you bashing the FCSO and I am not going to get into a bashing contest with you anymore. All of the people that work in law enforcement are not corrupt, or at least, the ones I know. You must be talking about some of your friends.
SECOND: This horrible incident is about a brutal murder of a elder lady in her own home be known criminals that should have not been on the streets in the first place.
THIRD: While you continue to bash the FCSO try to remember that this incident happened in the CITY of FLORENCE. And, also the boy of the young man that was missing was found in a building on Irby Street; which happens to be in the CITY of FLORENCE.
FOURTH: As I said before, people need to learn to protect themselves and get involved in a community against crime program. You sure would be good at that instead of wasting so much time on here putting down the law enforcement officers that protect YOUR life each day!! I am sooo through with you so bash all you want, continue to look like the idiot that you must be.
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Posted by ( Montgomery28 ) on September 02, 2008 at 4:45 pm
To CitizenRights: FIRST: I am so tired of you bashing the FCSO and I am not going to get into a pixxing contest with you anymore. All of the people that work in law enforcement are not corrupt, or at least, the ones I know. You must be talking about some of your friends.
SECOND: This horrible incident is about a brutal murder of a elder lady in her own home be known criminals that should have not been on the streets in the first place.
THIRD: While you continue to bash the FCSO try to remember that this incident happened in the CITY of FLORENCE. And, also the boy of the young man that was missing was found in a building on Irby Street; which happens to be in the CITY of FLORENCE.
FOURTH: As I said before, people need to learn to protect themselves and get involved in a community against crime program. You sure would be good at that instead of wasting so much time on here putting down the law enforcement officers that protect YOUR life each day!! I am sooo through with you so bash all you want, continue to look like the idiot that you must be.
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Posted by ( gator22 ) on September 02, 2008 at 3:47 pm
As a figured my CSI comment went over your head. It was meant to say that the show is fiction (not real) meaning thats not really how evidence is collected. Who are these corrupt officers? Where does this information come from that you post? Usually when people attempt to prove a point they have a factual basis for their comments and if you do please share it with us and and maybe others will entertain your comments. The information of the education level of these officers what does that have to do with anything, wouldn’t you think that experience would be a much more valuable learning tool than reading a book and getting a grade. You can’t accuse someone of something you assume. I can tell my comments bothered you by the length of your rebuttal. Just to point out a few things wrong with your comment. You really should not put individual names in the comment that have nothing to do with the situation such as Tucker (he doesn’t work there anymore). You assume that I am in LE, and I am not (another false accusation). I bet you are one of those people that complain about LE being proactive in an area and when something like this happens you ask where was law enforcement? Either way....I am not trying to take away your right for freedom to express yourself, I’m just saying that people would probably take you more serious if you formed a basis for your comments. I would love to hear your facts for your accusations in your next rebuttal.
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Posted by ( CitizenRights ) on September 01, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Gator22,
I never said I did not have a problem with FCSO. As you mention the show CSI, it is just a TV show and believe me FCSO is not even close. But back to the original comments about Ed Clement and judges letting people go. It is not ignorant to know that the solicitor can only try a case with the evidence and information from the FCSO and other agencies. And if that information or evidence is not complete or tainted, people get off that are guilty. Some of you will say this is unfair, but the responsible of the investigating officers and law enforcement is to do a good job of collecting evidence and information that is close to air tight. But see most people in the county are poor and under educated and it is a numbers game about arresting people even when all the information is not known or evidence is not strong. Most people plea guilty even when there is problems with the case, because they do not have the money, education or resources to fight for their rights.
FCSO does have problems and that is what am stating, if you have a problem with that stop reading my posting or comments. Or like you said move. I will never give up my right to freedom to express myself even if the majority does not like it. I bet gator22, you are like Montgomery28, you are in law enforcement or related to someone that is and that is why your comments are basis. I will also say that I do not have a problem with all law enforcement officers, just the corrupt, or ones that are not doing their job by the book. I do have friends that are officers for the county also.
This comment is for the ignorant and uneducated but people that can read out there about the process. Law enforcement such as the sheriff department, collect evidence and information of a crime. It is then usually the investigating officer responsible to make a judgment if they have enough information for an arrest or they can ask the FCSO legal counsel Captain Tucker. Most will skip that last part. If the officer feels it is time to make an arrest, and the crime was not one where the criminal was arrested at the scene. The officer will go before a magistrate, and ask for an arrest warrant. The magistrate will listen to the information and either issues a warrant or not. The problem with the process so far is the investigator and magistrate; both usually do not have more than a two year degree if that and most of the time their degree does not have anything to do with criminal justice. After all this, it will go to the circuit court system, if the punishment of the crime is for time to be service more than one year. So, this is where Ed Clements and the gang come in and the true law goes to work. People do not understand that in circuit court you might not like the outcome but is based on case law and the constitution. If people get off here, do not blame it on Ed Clements or the judges, it was because the officers and magistrate did not do their job correctly.
So, if someone gets off, is it really like the educated and non-basis Mongtgomery28 said “Ed Clemmons & his assistant along with some of the judges turn these animals back out on the street only to be up to no good.” or the arresting officers? Take some time to think, it is a process that very few enjoy.
Does anyone know what our current sheriff’s education is? When he ran for office it was “Kenney Boone attended Florence Darlington Technical School where he received a degree in Criminal Justice!”. I am glad to see that it was for criminal justice, even though it was a two year degree. Like Boone as on the FSCO website, “All that evil needs to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing”, quote from Edmund Burke. Well that includes standing up against bad officers or practices.
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Posted by ( gator22 ) on September 01, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I love logging on everyday to hear the overwhelming intelligence that exudes from the comments that Citizen Rights makes on scnow. I’m sure you think you sound rational and intelligent but please don’t show your ignorance by lashing out a people who work hard for this county. Why don’t you move out if you don’t like it. The men and women that protect this county work hard and do not deserve to have someone degrade them publically behind a screen name day in and day out. These accusations you make are extremely ignorant and everyone that reads them see the ignorance. I would suggest that you get involved and do something about it. You obviously have an issue with the FCSO. I mean you act like they should have some kind sorceress that will tell them when a crime is about to happen. Also, as far as collecting evidence goes, I seriously doubt it’s as easy and spectacular as it appears on CSI. You need to get real, do you really expect them to just come in and find a hair and solve the case? I’m sure these things take a while, give them a chance.
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Posted by ( shareara ) on August 31, 2008 at 4:07 pm
To Montgomery 28. I completely understand where you are coming from, but the County is still Florence County. I was just saying that the people in the whole area of Florence needs to take charge and take back the streets from these low life criminals.
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Posted by ( CitizenRights ) on August 31, 2008 at 11:58 am
This is a sad story and bad that it happened in out area. But I will say to Montgomery28 and everyone else what was said to me on here a few weeks ago. “If you do not like what is happening here, you should move”. The reason some people get off has nothing to do with Ed Clements or his associates. Ed Clement and the judges have to follow the law in the prosecution of criminals, and only have to work with the evidences collected by the Sheriff department and other law enforcement officers. It is not Ed’s fault, the sheriff department officers do not know the law, and do a half tail job of collecting evidence before arresting someone.
The county has been getting worse and a very few people will say it is because of out current “fearless leader” in office for the county. You can not have officers breaking the law and stand by and allow it and then get upset when a criminal get off. When you have officers breaking the law just to make an arrest or collect evidence, there is no wonder why people get off. This type of behavior and abuse of power, allows our local criminals to take advantage, and get off.
Remember this is a bad thing and a lot of bad things are happening in our area. Everyone still has rights, and including having their day in court. For officers like Montgomery28’s husband, good luck and go a better job and they will not get off so easy. Keep doing what you and everyone else have been doing and it will get worse. If you do not like that quit, and move.
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Posted by ( disappointed ) on August 28, 2008 at 5:39 pm
It’s a sad day from something of this magnitude to happen.The Problem with society today is that we have a wait and see what happen altitude. Those teenages should have never been let out of jail with the rap sheeet that they have. This unfortunate lady lost her life because of our judicial system let kids like this roam the streets in our community.
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