A woman was killed and now her husband is charged with murder, SC cops say
A woman was killed and her husband was charged with murder, the Aiken Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.
Ruth Ann Whitaker, a 70-year-old Aiken resident, was fatally shot Tuesday, the Aiken County Coroner’s Office said.
On Thursday, the Department of Public Safety called the death a domestic violence related homicide.
At about 5:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a shooting at 1404 Woodbine Road, according to the Department of Public Safety. That’s in Aiken, near the intersection with S.C. 478/Hitchcock Parkway.
Officers found Whitaker’s body, the public safety department said. She had been shot and died at the scene, according to the coroner’s office.
An autopsy has been scheduled in Newberry to determine the cause of death, the coroner’s office said.
No other injuries were reported.
Richard Whitaker, 70, was arrested in connection to the shooting, the public safety department said Wednesday. Richard and Ruth Whitaker were married, department spokeswoman Kristin Hontz told The State.
In addition to murder, Richard Whitaker was also charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the public safety department.
There was no word on a motive for the gunfire.
No bond has been set for Richard Whitaker, who is being held in the Aiken County Detention Center, jail records show.
Despite the arrest, the shooting continues to be investigated by the public safety department.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the public safety department at 803-642-7620, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.
“Information from the community is vital to solving this and any crime,” the department of public safety said.
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This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 11:14 AM.
