November 3, 2013

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Wilson Hall to host diabetes fair 2A

COLLEGE FOOTBALL • USC dominates Mississippi State

B1 • Clemson stomps Virginia 59-10 VOL. 119, NO. 18 WWW.THEITEM.COM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

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Name of fatal Lawyers seek retrial of executed teen hit-and-run Manning firm fights to clear victim released George Stinney BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com The woman who died after being struck by a car Friday night has been identified. Doretta Bradham Johnson, 62, was a Columbia resident walking in downtown Sum-

ter when she was struck and killed by an unknown driver near the intersection of Warren Court and Warren Street about 8:30 p.m. Johnson was apparently a frequent visitor to Sumter who has family SEE HIT AND RUN, PAGE A6

Investigation of ‘Big Kountry’ killing stalled BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com It’s been more than a year since Kyle Eppling’s parents last saw their son alive. The 25-year-old was out with friends on the night of Aug. 26, 2012, when he was shot and killed. EPPLING In the time since, investigators have not been able to identify his killer or any concrete reason why anyone would want Eppling dead. Eppling, known to

BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com Nearly 70 years after the state labeled him a murderer, George Stinney’s 1944 conviction for the slaying of two young girls may soon be overturned. The Coffey, Chandler and McKenzie law firm has filed a motion with the Clarendon County clerk of court for a new trial in the case of the youngest person put to death in the United States in the last 100 years. The Manning firm’s motion, filed Friday, Oct. 25, cites newly sworn affidavits from Stinney’s stillliving siblings providing the 14-yearold with an alibi. Witnesses for the accused weren’t able to testify at the time, attorneys say, because his trial was conducted in a prejudicial atmosphere. “When he was arrested in 1944, his family was essentially run out of town,” said attorney Matt Burgess. “They couldn’t testify.” At a time when whites and SEE STINNEY, PAGE A6

friends as “Big Kountry,” was hanging out with a group of friends in the parking lot of Oakland Plantation Apartments at 5501 Edgehill Road — “minding his own business,” in the words of SEE BIG KOUNTRY, PAGE A11

Note: LAX shooter wanted to kill at least 1 TSA officer BRISTOW MARCHANT / THE ITEM

Danny and Nancy Eppling, parents of Kyle Eppling, met recently with investigators from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for an update on their son’s case. It’s been more than a year since Eppling was shot and killed in an apartment parking lot by an unknown gunman. The investigation into his killing remains open.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The suspect accused of opening fire inside the Los Angeles airport was determined to lash out at the Transportation Security Administration, saying in a note that he wanted to kill at least one TSA officer and didn’t care which one, authorities said Saturday.

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It’s not clear why Paul Ciancia targeted the agency, but the note found in his duffel bag suggested the 23-year-old unemployed motorcycle mechanic was willing to kill almost any officer he could confront with his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

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Police stand guard in Terminal 2 at Los Angeles InSEE SHOOTER, PAGE A11 ternational Airport on Friday.

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