MAULDIN, S.C. (TCD) — A 50-year-old man accused of killing his estranged wife and her friend during an argument allegedly took his own life over the weekend.
Officers with the Mauldin Police Department responded to the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments on the evening of March 23 in reference to shots fired, where they found 52-year-old Kim Thrift and 41-year-old Mariellen Minor deceased. Police identified Christopher Minor as the primary suspect and obtained warrants for his arrest on two counts of murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a violent act.
Investigators believe the shooting to be “domestic in nature.”
According to WHNS-TV, on March 23, at around 6 p.m., Mariellen Minor and Thrift went to the apartment complex to pick up Mariellen Minor’s children. While there, they reportedly got into a dispute with Christopher Minor, Mariellen Minor’s estranged husband. Christopher Minor allegedly fatally shot the two women during the altercation.
Mauldin Police Chief George Miller told WHNS that other people, including minors, were present during the shooting, but it is unclear if the suspect’s kids were there.
Christopher Minor was last seen driving in a white Cadillac, police said in a post. On Sunday, March 24, Park rangers reportedly found the suspect’s vehicle abandoned at Baker Creek State Park in McCormick County, South Carolina. Upon further search of the area, the rangers located Christopher Minor dead by a lake with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a statement, police said, “This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ family members and friends during this difficult time.”
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