June 4, 2013

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CLARENDON SUN

HE’S BACK

Local produce market offers organic goods

Brooks Shumake reclaims position as SHS baseball head coach

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VOL. 118, NO. 193 WWW.THEITEM.COM

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

FOUNDED OCTOBER 15, 1894

60 CENTS

Arson fire kills 2 Grandson suspect in blaze, deaths BY ROB COTTINGHAM AND JADE ANDERSON rcottingham@theitem.com, janderson@theitem.com

SHARRON HALEY / THE ITEM

Clarendon County Sheriff’s deputies stand ready as triple murder suspect Jeffrey Eady, right, exits an airplane at Sprott Field outside Manning on Sunday afternoon.

Two people are dead after a fire fully engulfed a Sumter home Saturday, and law enforcement await the arrival of the suspected arsonist, who was apprehended Sunday in Ohio. Joann Topper, 79, and James William MANNERS Topper, 68, were burned beyond recognition, said Sumter County Coroner Harvin Bullock. Pending further tests, he suspects the cause of death will be smoke inhalation. The victims’ grandson,

Found body ends 6-day terror tour Brown’s corpse recovered; alleged culprit slits wrists; motive questions remain BY SHARRON HALEY sharron@theitem-clarendonsun.com

SEE ARSON, PAGE 8A

MANNING — One day after finding the body of missing 77-year-old Sadie Brown, Clarendon County authorities began the task of determining a motive for the killing spree that began possibly as early as May 28 and ended Saturday afternoon when Jeffrey Eady was arrested in Bay County, Fla. “We are just too thankful that we were able to locate Miss BROWN Sadie,” Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett said Monday afternoon. “We had (Jeffery) Eady in custody, but we were not finished until we found her. Our guys, along with other agencies, worked around the clock. It was a team effort to bring her home.” However, circumstances involving Eady didn’t calm with his incarceration. Eady was transported to Clarendon Memorial Hospital before 5 p.m. Monday after he

PHOTOS BY ROB COTTINGHAM / THE ITEM

ABOVE: Visible through a side window, barely more than ashes remain within the home of James W. and Joann Topper on Sunday afternoon after a fire that claimed their lives ravaged the residence Saturday night. LEFT: Melted plastic from the bumper of a minivan parked 20 feet from the Toppers’ house stretches to the ground Sunday.

SEE CRIME SPREE, PAGE A10

Red Cross: Much of East Coast not prepared for hurricanes BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item In spite of the devastation suffered by millions of Americans in wake of last year’s Superstorm Sandy and the recent tornadoes in the Midwest and central U.S., Red Cross officials say many residents in the eastern United States are not prepared to take appropriate action in case they are affected by a natural disaster. Hurricane season officially began Saturday, and American Red Cross is urging all South Carolinians to take the time now to prepare for what

could be an active season, said Nancy Cataldo, executive director of the Sandhills chapter of the American Red Cross. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-average hurricane season with a 70 percent likelihood of 13 to 20 named storms, of which seven to 11 could become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes, Cataldo said. “Southern Atlantic Coast residents are no stranger to hurricanes, but sometimes memories fade when we were lucky enough to be spared in

20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)

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the past few years,” Cataldo e said. “We need to remember that our coasts are vulnerable to hurricanes and take action now. People should create a family evacuation plan, get needed supplies and medicad tions, and download the free Red Cross hurrihe many cane app as one of the steps to be prepared.” A recent survey conducted by Red Cross and the Weather Channel shows that 63 percent of Southern Atlantic coastal county residents are

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concerned about being in harm’s way of a hurricane or flood, but are not taking preparedness action recommended by emergency officials.

Molly M. Hudson Ray G. Farmer Duane N. Clark Kim Thi Glahn Joseph Franklin Nancy B. Hickman

SEE PREPARED, PAGE A10

INSIDE

OUTSIDE STORMY DAY

DEATHS Willie Burgess Willie E. Hammett Nathaniel Anderson Leroy F. Walcott Jr. Alex L. Cooper Sammie L. Montgomery

One in three residents do not have an emergency kit. One in two do not have a plan

Elton Ray Jenkins Junius Vaughn Sadie Brown Adam Sweat Jr.

3 SECTIONS, 28 PAGES

Clouds breaking, storms at times in the day; humid and cloudy with a storm at night. B5, B6

HIGH: 87 LOW: 68 A10

Clarendon Sun Classifieds Comics Daily Planner Opinion Television

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