Man who was charged with murder while out on bond appears in court

ORANGEBURG COUNTY, SC (WIS) - A murder investigation in Orangeburg County led deputies to a man already facing very serious charges.

On Jan. 12, deputies said they found a man shot to death in a car and named Michael Corbitt a suspect in the case.

Prior to that incident, Corbitt was arrested and charged with Kidnapping and Criminal Sexual Conduct after deputies found a woman badly beaten on a road near Springfield Sept. 23. Corbitt was given a $16,000 bond on Saturday.

Corbitt has been accused of additional crimes within the past few years. In September, he was charged with First degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, Kidnapping, first-degree Sexual Assault and Battery, as well as Carjacking.

State records show that he’s also faced an Assault and Battery charge, and Attempted Murder without being convicted.

WIS asked Richard Walker, spokesperson for the Orangeburg County Sheriff Office, how someone with that history can be given a bond that allows them to get out of jail.

“We’re all frustrated, the sheriff included. This gentleman has committed several crimes,” Walker said. “Whatever the courts decide, we respect those decisions -- whether it be bond, I mean all the way through the process,” Walker said.

However, Sara Barber, Executive Director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault said that more work needs to be done.

“The CDC reports that 41 percent of women in South Carolina report a lifetime experience of either sexual assault or domestic violence or coercive control. So this is riddled throughout our communities,” she said. “Yes, when people are arrested for these crimes, we would like the state to take it very seriously because we do think that if you commit sexual assault, you are a danger both to your community and to other individuals.”

Corbitt appeared in court on Tuesday for the case involving a man found shot in a car. That person’s identity has not yet been released by the Orangeburg County Coroner.

Corbitt’s next court appearance is scheduled for March, but officials anticipate a bond hearing within the month.

Copyright 2019 WIS. All rights reserved.