SC man said he stabbed someone, then a woman’s body was found, sheriff says
A woman was killed Saturday and a man is behind bars, South Carolina officials said.
Crystal Lynn Pace, a 41-year-old Easley resident, is the victim who died in a stabbing, the Pickens County Coroner’s Office said.
Brandon Wayne Hopkins was charged with murder, according to the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office.
In a Facebook post, Pickens County Sheriff Tommy Blankenship said on Saturday that “Easley Police Department had officers get out with a Brandon Wayne Hopkins.” Hopkins told officers that he had stabbed a person in his home, according to Blankenship.
Police notified the sheriff’s office and deputies went to an Oakwood Street home in Easley, where they discovered Pace’s dead body, officials said.
No other injuries were reported.
Officers found what appeared to be stab wounds, and the coroner’s office said that Pace “died from at least one wound from a sharp force object.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, according to the coroner’s office.
Hopkins was arrested and booked into the Pickens County Detention Center, the sheriff’s office said. In addition to murder, Hopkins also was charged with possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to jail records.
No bond has been set and Hopkins remains locked up, jail records show.
Despite Hopkins’ arrest, the homicide continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office. In addition to Easley police, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also assisted with the investigation.
There was no word about a motive for the attack, or information about how Hopkins and the victim knew each other.
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This story was originally published December 7, 2025 at 9:33 AM.
