CLARENDON SUN
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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.
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Clouds breaking, storms at times in the day; humid and cloudy with a storm at night. B5, B6
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Clarendon Sun Classifieds Comics Daily Planner Opinion Television
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