Man’s body found in SC home, now a search for his killer is underway, cops say
A wellness check has turned into a death investigation after a man’s body was discovered inside a South Carolina home Tuesday morning, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said.
Jairo Martinez was killed, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said. The 32-year-old Graniteville resident died at the scene, according to Ables.
At about 8:25 a.m., deputies responded to a wellness check call at a home in the 200 block of Ascauga Lake Road. That’s in Graniteville, about 3 miles from the USC Aiken campus.
The homeowner told deputies his tenant was not coming to the door and he had not heard from the man, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Responding deputies found Martinez on the floor, close to the door, according to the release. He had been shot in the abdomen, the sheriff’s office said.
Martinez, who was the tenant, will be autopsied on Thursday in Newberry, according to Ables.
No other injuries were reported.
There is no word on a shooter, or shooters, or a motive for the gunfire.
No arrests have been reported by the sheriff’s office, which continues to investigate the shooting, along with the coroner’s office and the Aiken Department of Public Safety.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-648-6811, or CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 10:39 AM.
