Tragic end to search for wanted man and endangered teen, South Carolina cops say
The search for a wanted man as well as an endangered, missing teenager “ended in tragedy” Wednesday, according to the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Corie Martinez, 20, who was wanted for attempted murder following a recent shooting “suffered a fatal self-inflicted injury,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday in a news release.
Deputies went to a Coburg Lane residence Wednesday where Martinez was said to be located, according to the release. A standoff ensued, and following nearly 2 hours of negotiations deputies learned that Martinez had killed himself, the sheriff’s office said.
“We developed information on the subject’s location, pleaded with this individual to come out,” Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said in the release. “But in the end, we discovered this situation had already ended in tragedy.”
The sheriff’s office previously said it believed that missing and endangered 19-year-old Mary Virginia Dilling was with Martinez. On Wednesday, Dilling was located safely outside of the home where the standoff happened, according to the release.
There was no word if Dilling faces any criminal charges, but a manhunt began for Martinez following a July 31 shooting that left one person injured, the sheriff’s office said.
Information on that victim’s condition was not available, and there was no word about what led to the July 31 shooting.
“This is never how you want situations like these to end, never,” Ravenell said. “He had family, loved ones, friends. Please say a prayer for all involved.”
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