(Orangeburg County) - Orangeburg County deputies are investigating the death of a woman found inside a home that suddenly exploded early Tuesday morning.
Deputies say the incident happened at a residence on Blewer Road in Cordova. Just after 9 a.m., officers say they got a call from a man who said his son was inside the home, and that a murder had taken place. Officers responded to the scene, but when they got there an explosion went off, engulfing the place in flames.
Once fire officials got the blaze under control, they say they found 31-year-old Ruby Thompson's badly burned body inside.
A short time later, officers found the caller in a wooded area near the home. His son was also found in that wooded area and taken to the Orangeburg-Calhoun County jail.
Right now, officers are calling the son, who's been identified as 28-year-old Oscar McDowell, a person of interest in the case. He's being charged with second degree arson, and more charges could be filed.
His mother, Lisa McDowell, says her son was not stable when she saw him the day of the explosion.
"My son was so out of his head (Tuesday) morning, that I wasn't really in disbelief when I first heard it," said Lisa, "because he was totally out of his head."
And Lisa firmly believes her son set the home on fire.
"Absolutely. Yeah," she said.
Investigators say Thompson and McDowell were living inside the home.
Officers also reported smelling meth in the area, but right now, investigators don't know if any illegal drugs were being manufactured at the residence.
2/7/2007 11:40:52 AM
