Person-of-interest in Holly Hill murders in custody

A high-speed chase in Orangeburg County on Tuesday resulted in the arrest of a Monks Corner man who is a person-of-interest in the July 15 murder of two adults and two children in Holly Hill.

Michael Smith, 26, was charged with failure to stop for a blue light and two drug charges after leading deputies on a chase that reached speeds of 100 miles-per-hour, Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said.

At a court hearing, First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said the investigation into the early morning murders identified Smith only as a person-of-interest, not a suspect.

“We want to reassure the community we have been tracing out every new lead, interviewing anyone even remotely connected with it, including Mr. Smith,” Pascoe said.

The father of three children shot in the attack was arrested on unrelated drug charges last week.

Christopher Wright, 36, of 7050 Old State Road, Holly Hill, was charged on two outstanding warrants for trafficking methamphetamine, said Ravenell. Wright was taken into custody on the drug charges as he was being interviewed about the fatal attack that killed two of his children and critically wounded a third.

Wright’s children, Shamekia Sanders, 17, and Alexia Perry, 14, died of gunshot wounds in the attack. The third, an 8-year-old boy, remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition, Pascoe said..

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 6:42 PM.