Body of missing boater recovered
The body of the boater who went missing in the Wimbee Creek on the morning of September 11, has been recovered.
Carl Mulligan, 54, was last seen boating with a friend on the Wimbee Creek just before Whale Branch that Wednesday. Witnesses reported seeing the boat take a sudden, hard turn ejecting Mulligan from the boat.
Multiple agencies have been actively searching the waterways since Mulligan was reported missing. A body matching the Mulligan’s description was recovered just after 12 p.m. Sept. 19, nearly four miles from where he was last seen. Members of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Beaufort County Mosquito Control aircraft spotted the body, which had washed ashore in the area where the Combahee River meets the St. Helena Sound.
The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office has sent the body to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Armed robbery under investigation
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery that occurred outside a home on Delaney Circle on Sept. 17.
Deputies met with a 46-year-old male at 9:30 p.m. in reference to a reported armed robbery occurring approximately 30 minutes earlier. The victim advised that he had dropped off a friend at 62 Delaney Circle in Seabrook and was sitting in his vehicle in the driveway of the residence when he was suddenly approached by two black males. The suspects, one of whom was armed with a handgun, demanded the victim empty his pockets. After handing over his wallet, the victim was ordered to lie on the ground outside his vehicle while the suspects fled on foot towards a nearby wooded area.
The victim was uninjured during the incident and drove to family member’s home on Young Circle where he notified law enforcement.
The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to contact either Investigator SSgt. J. Fraser at 843-255-3416 or the Beaufort County Dispatch Center at 843-524-2777.
Shooting, kidnapping being investigated
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the kidnapping and attempted murder of a 42-year old man on St. Helena Island the evening of Monday, Sept. 23.
At approximately 5:30 p.m. that night, Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area of Deacon Heyward Road in reference to a reported gunshot victim. Deputies located the victim in the area 12 Deacon Heyward Road, suffering from several gunshot wounds to the feet.
The victim advised that he had been at a residence on Harrington Street in Beaufort when a black male, known to him as “Poppy” and a black female showed up and asked the victim to go to St. Helena with them. The victim agreed and got into a white Toyota Camry with the suspects.
While driving on Seaside Road on St. Helena, the suspects began assaulting the victim, eventually binding him with duct tape and putting him in the trunk of the car. They then drove to a house on Seaside Road where the suspects took the victim out of the trunk, pistol whipped him and shot him multiple times in the feet.
The suspects then fled the area, leaving the injured victim to wander the area looking for help. A resident at 22 Deacon Heyward Road called 911 when the victim approached the house seeking help. The victim was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital where he remains in undisclosed condition.
The victim advised investigators that the attack may have been in retaliation for an altercation that had previously occurred in Atlanta between “Poppy” and the victim’s son. Investigators have since identified “Poppy” as 22-year-old Melesse Orlando Turner of Doraville, Ga. Turner is wanted and should be considered armed and dangerous. Turner may be traveling in a white 1992 Toyota Camry LE bearing Georgia license plate PNG2165.
Anyone with information is asked to contact either Investigator SSgt J. Fraser at 843-255-3416 or Crimestoppers.
Shellfish season to open October 1 in S.C.
The 2013-2014 season for harvesting shellfish (clams, oysters and other bivalves) in coastal waters of South Carolina will open a half hour before sunrise on Tuesday, October 1. The shellfish season will remain open through May 15, 2014, unless conditions warrant extending or shortening the season. Season dates apply to both recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting. The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) maintains State Shellfish Grounds for commercial and recreational harvesting of clams and oysters. To purchase a license online or to find list of license vendors visit www.dnr.sc.gov/purchase.
