COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) — A 66-year-old South Carolina business owner is charged with killing his 37-year-old tenant. Deputies found video poker machines inside the business while investigating the murder.
Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said detectives arrested Sidney "Butch" Hursey of Gaston on Wednesday on a first-degree murder charge for the shooting death of Christopher Reese outside Cowboy's Auction near Gaston. Hursey owns the business.
Coroner Harry Harman said Reese died late Tuesday after being shot multiple times in the head and upper torso.
"He died instantly, they tell me he didn't suffer," said Teresa Kovac, Reese's mother.
That's the only comfort Kovac says she's hanging onto after her only son was gunned down outside his home Tuesday night.
Reese rented a room with his girlfriend inside Cowboy's Auction in Gaston, and died Tuesday night after investigators say he got into a fight with Huresy, his boss and landlord.
"He just walked outside to talk to the man," said Kovac. "He worked for the man and he just wanted him to give him a little more time so he could get moved and he told him to be quiet and just pulled out his pistol and shot and killed him."
Kovac got to the scene about 30 minutes later.
"They wouldn't let me see because they said it was so brutal," said Kovac. "I think he'd been shot at least four times and close range."
Hursey's attorney told the judge during a hearing Wednesday the shooting was self defense. For Kovac, that's no excuse.
"I believe it, then I don't believe it and I guess until I see him, it won't sink in, I mean, I know he's gone, but I can't accept it until I see him," she said.
Hursey was being held at the county jail Wednesday awaiting a bond hearing. No one answered the phone at a listing for Hursey and a message for the man police believe to be his attorney was not immediately returned.
SLED is looking into some video poker machines investigators found inside Cowboy's Auction Wednesday. There's no word yet if Hursey will face charges for the poker machines.
We also uncovered the search warrant investigators executed Wednesday night at Hursey's home.
In the search, deputies siezed a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, shell casings and one live round. Lexington County investigators say Hursey did not have a permit to carry the pistol.
We've asked SLED to confirm that.
Copyright 2009 WIS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.
Sidney Hursey (Source: LCSD)
Christopher Reese (Source: LCSD)
Seized video poker machines at the murder scene
