SANTEE, S.C. — A woman is dead and her estranged husband is in jail following a Wednesday evening shooting just outside of Santee.
The Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office said that witness reports of a loud "pop" around 7 p.m. were what led to 911 calls and, eventually, the arrest of 51-year-old Richard Amous for the murder of his wife.
Witnesses eventually found the 48-year-old victim on the floor of her Avacado Drive home with what the sheriff's office described as an apparent injury to her upper body. Amous initially escaped from the scene but was later taken into custody in Clarendon County.
He now faces charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a crime. And while no motive has been released at this time, Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said none justified the violence that occurred that night.
“This was an absolutely and undeniably senseless act,” the sheriff said. “There was no reason in this world to justify this shooting.”
The sheriff also took time to thank his Clarendon County counterpart, Sheriff Tim Baxley, as well as the Elloree and Santee police departments and the South Carolina Highway Patrol for their assistance. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also assisted by bringing K-9 teams and a dive team to the location.
“Every one of these agencies are to be commended for locating and apprehending this individual,” he said.
The shooting is the latest of three in Orangeburg County since Saturday. A total of four people have died.
