MAULDIN, SC – Christopher Minor, a 50-year-old man suspected of a double homicide that took place in Mauldin, was found dead on Sunday morning. The authorities found Minor at Baker Creek State Park in McCormick County with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Mauldin Police Department.
Minor was suspected in the killings of 41-year-old Mariellen Bessent Minor and 52-year-old Kim Melissa Thrift. The double murder incident occurred on Saturday evening.
The police were summoned to the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments around 6 p.m. following reports of gunshots. Responding officers discovered Thrift dead inside a vehicle and Mariellen Minor lifeless outside of the same vehicle. Both women displayed signs of multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the email, the residents of the apartment complex claimed that Christopher Minor lived there and had been visited by the two women who came to collect Minor’s children. Mauldin Police Chief George Miller confirmed that Christopher and Mariellen Minor were formerly married but had separated.
Following the incident, Mauldin police issued a warrant for Minor’s arrest. Upon discovering that Minor had left the crime scene, the department released a “Be On the Look Out” alert.
Officials from Baker Creek State Park, located roughly 90 minutes from Mauldin, informed local police on Sunday at 10:14 a.m. that they had found Minor. Initially, park rangers came across Minor’s deserted vehicle, which led them to his lifeless body by Lake Thurmond after a comprehensive search of the surrounding area. The investigation is expected to be closed due to the suspected perpetrator’s demise, Miller stated.
The Mauldin Police Department urged individuals experiencing domestic abuse to contact their local law enforcement for assistance, as they wrapped up their public statement.