The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office has located human remains in a wooded area near Highway 308 in the Clinton area of Laurens County. As of 3/26/14 these remains have been identified as 22-year-old Samantha Renee Smith who went missing from her Leila Street residence in Clinton between October and November of 2006. The Laurens County Sheriff’s Office is working in cooperation with the Clinton Department of Public Safety, the Laurens County Coroner’s Office, SLED, and others to further investigate this matter.

 Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office at 864-984-4967 or CRIMESTOPERS at 68CRIME.



 
 
On March 17th, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to a 2004 utility trailer that was stolen from a property in Cross Hill. During the ongoing investigation Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office received information on March 21st about a four-wheeler that had been stolen from their jurisdiction was located at a residence on Revan Drive in the County of Laurens. A search warrant was issued and executed. During the execution of the search warrant investigators located the trailer, four-wheeler and other stolen property, also located within the residence was a quantity of various drugs.

Forty-year-old Christopher Bruce Anders of 315 Revan Drive, Mountville and thirty-five-year-old Melissa Fairly Rhymer of 257 Billy Leopard Road, Cross Hill, both were arrested and charged with 3 Counts each of Violation of the Chop Shop Act, 2 Counts each for Receiving Stolen Goods, also Possession With The Intent To Distribute Marijuana and Possession With The Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine. They were both transported to the Johnson Detention Center where they were placed on hold for Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office on related charges.
 
 
Remnants of Device Disarmed by SLED
UPDATE...

Warrants have been issued for Thomas E. Whitehead, Jr. for the standoff that occurred on March 13, 2024 on Community Center Road in Enoree.

Thomas E. Whitehead, Jr. has been charged with:

- Two Counts of Attempted Murder

- Manufacture of Methamphetamine

- Unlawful Disposal of Methamphetamine Waste

- Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of Violent Crime

- Threat to Use a Bomb/ Incendiary Device

- Manufacture of an Incendiary Device

These charges are in addition to the previously active warrant for Attempted Murder, stemming from a previous incident, which deputies were in the process of serving when the standoff began. Whitehead remains at the Johnson Detention Center where he is awaiting a bond hearing.

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During the afternoon hours on March 13 Deputies with the Laurens County Sheriff's Office were involved in a standoff with a man wielding a knife and homemade explosive device.

Deputies arrived at the residence on Community Center Road, in Enoree, to serve an outstanding warrant. Deputies were confronted by a man armed with a knife and had an explosive device in plain view. Deputies were able to stabilize the situation by speaking to the man while LCSO's Special Operations Response Team (SORT) was activated. SLED Bomb Squad was also requested to respond to the situation. Residences in the surrounding area were evacuated due to the active explosive device. After a short standoff, Thomas Whitehead Jr. was taken into custody with only brief incident and transported to the Johnson Detention Center where he will be awaiting warrants to be served.

SLED Bomb Squad was able to disarm and neutralize the device without incident. Upon further investigation of the scene an active methamphetamine lab was also discovered and dealt with by members of LCSO Clandestine Lab Team.

Check back for updated information as it becomes available.