Authorities arrested a 43-year-old female suspect on June 21 for allegedly being involved in a shooting on US-521 in Westville that left another woman dead. The Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that deputies took the suspect into custody. In the company of her attorneys, she arrived at the Kershaw County Detention Center. She was subsequently charged with the murder of a 54-year-old woman.
The investigation began when someone reported a shooting on June 17 at the highway’s intersection with Catoe Road. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a dead woman in a vehicle. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the neck. A witness informed deputies about a vehicle leaving the scene. Investigators tracked down the vehicle and stopped the woman driving it. They searched the vehicle and reported finding a .380 caliber pistol and a single spent shell casing. The female driver declined to answer questions until she could consult her attorney.
At the crime scene, investigators collected a .380 caliber bullet and sent it to a crime lab. Testing confirmed that the bullet at the murder scene came from the weapon in the suspect’s possession.
A person accused of violent crimes could end up with a long prison sentence. However, the representation of a criminal defense attorney could improve an alleged offender’s ability to make informed decisions when interacting with prosecutors and the court. An attorney might form a defense strategy by questioning the strength of evidence. By exposing a weakness in a case, an attorney might gain concessions from a prosecutor in the form of reduced charges. If a prosecutor offers a plea deal, an attorney could help the suspect evaluate its terms before accepting it or choosing to go to trial.