Court petition filed in homicide case near Westminster

Two boys remain in the custody of their parents as court proceedings have been announced in the case of the homicide of a man June 23 near Westminster.  The county sheriff’s office filed a Family Court petition charging an 8-year old and a 9-year old with involuntary manslaughter of Danny Andrew Smith, 62 years old.  Sheriff Crenshaw made this statement:  “After a consultation with the Solicitor’s Office, and based on the evidence obtained in our ongoing investigation, we believe that both juvenile males discharged a firearm in a reckless manner in the direction of Mr. Smith who was bush hogging on some family property.  At this time, it is still undetermined which shot ultimately struck and killed Mr. Smith.  However, based upon South Carolina law, the hand of one is the hand of all and that is why Family Court has been petitioned in regards to charging both juveniles with Involuntary Manslaughter.”  Under South Carolina law, juveniles under the age of 10 cannot be detained so both juveniles have been remanded to the custody of the parents as judicial proceedings continue.  A .22 caliber rifle has been recovered and examined by the state police forensics lab in Columbia.