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<p><strong>By Tony Kukulich</strong></p>
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<p>An arrest has been made and charges have been filed in the March 5 shooting death of 55-year-old Burton resident Steven Whitlock.</p>
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<p>The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office announced that 33-year-old Burton resident Trayvis Jenkins was detained and taken into custody without incident during a traffic stop Tuesday morning, April 5. He has been charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in connection with Whitlock’s death. Jenkins is being held in the Beaufort County Detention Center.</p>
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<p>Deputies and Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services responded to a Franklin Drive location March 5 after receiving reports of an unresponsive man in a yard there. Whitlock’s body was discovered, but two gunshot wounds were not immediately apparent. A forensic autopsy conducted two days later revealed the wounds, and his death was deemed a homicide.</p>
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<p>Sheriff’s Office investigators developed Jenkins as a suspect in the slaying after witness interviews and evidence evaluation. A warrant for Jenkins’ arrest was signed by a Beaufort County magistrate on April 4.</p>
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<p>Although Jenkins has been charged in Whitlock's death, the case remains active.</p>
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<p>Anyone who has information pertaining to this incident is encouraged to contact Sergeant David Tafoya at 843-255-3430 or Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111, if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.</p>
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<p>T<em>ony Kukulich is a recent transplant to the Lowcountry. A native of Wilmington, Del., he comes to The Island News from the San Francisco Bay Area where he spent seven years as a reporter and photographer for several publications. He can be reached at tony.theislandnews@gmail.com.</em></p>
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