Gunfire heard before couple found dead, SC cops say. Case remains unsolved months later
The sound of gunfire led deputies to the bodies of a husband and wife, sparking a months-long mystery in South Carolina, officials said.
The pair — John Michael Thompkins and Cathy Diane Thompkins — were found shot to death in their home in October, according to their obituaries and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Months later, officials are still searching for clues. The case remained unsolved as of March 24, when deputies in a Facebook post said they were seeking information to help “give the surviving family members closure.”
The case stems back to October 3, when the sheriff’s office said someone called 911 at about 10:30 p.m. to report hearing gunshots. When deputies checked a home on Ervin Court, roughly 35 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach, they found the married couple and their dog dead, officials said.
John Thompkins, 49, and his wife were known for valuing time outside.
“He enjoyed working with his hands doing carpentry work,” an obituary on the Johnson Funeral Home website said. “Mr. Thompkins loved being outdoors hunting and fishing.”
Cathy Thompkins, 45, is remembered in her obituary as someone who “loved reading, writing, and being outdoors gardening.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 843-292-5211 or 843-431-6049. Those wanting to make anonymous tips can call Crime Stoppers at 888-274-6372.
“If your information leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a Crime Stoppers Reward,” the sheriff’s office wrote in its Facebook post.
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Gunfire heard before couple found dead, SC cops say. Case remains unsolved months later."
