Man beat grandmother to death, killed dog at her home, Lexington County Sheriff says
A South Carolina man was charged with murder after his grandmother was found beaten to death in her Gilbert home, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.
Sheriff’s deputies pulled over Dustin Edward Hoff, 30, when he was spotted driving past the home where he lived with his grandmother — who was identified as 77-year-old Elaine Hall by Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher, according to a news release.
The 30-year-old Batesburg man was arrested Wednesday for driving under suspension, Sheriff Jay Koon said in the news release.
He was also cited for driving with an open container of beer or wine in a motor vehicle, jail records show.
After being interviewed by detectives, Hoff was charged with murder, according to the news release.
Hoff was also charged with ill treatment of an animal after deputies found a dog stabbed to death inside Hall’s home, the sheriff’s department said.
“Ms. Hall’s family requested a welfare check and a deputy responded to her Neely Wingard Road home to find her deceased inside,” Koon said in the news release. “Just a short time later, deputies spotted Hoff driving by Ms. Hall’s home in her van while they were on scene.”
Hoff was taken to the Lexington County Detention Center. His bond was set at $905 for the combined motor vehicle charges, but he is still being held by the sheriff’s department, jail records show.
Information on a motive for the deadly attack was unavailable.
This story was originally published June 7, 2019 at 1:29 AM.
