Leader_PG_1

VOLUME 64 NUMBER 11 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: UPSTATE NEWSPAPERS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018

LANDRUM TRIPLE HOMICIDE ARRESTS MADE IN FLORIDA

“The people in Spartanburg County can relax that we are 100 percent sure we have the right suspects.” -Sheriff Chuck Wright

By Tricia Taber repeatedly asked Christopher Taylor to take him to the bank. Kristina Sluss said she was in another
room and heard a noise and when she looked, she saw Christopher hitting Bowling with a skillet until
Nathan Louis Poffenberger, 23, of it broke.
Landrum Mill Road, along with 59-year-old
Francis Delancey Richards and Fred Richards Christopher then asked for an aluminum bat, which his brother Gary Taylor, Jr. retrieved.
were found dead in the Richards’ home at Christopher then began hitting Bowling with the bat. At some point, Bowling had been unconscious,
630 Landrum Mill Road in the early morning but he came to, then tried to run out of the apartment. Christopher grabbed him, tackled him, and then
hours on January 20, 2018. These victims were began punching him until he went unconscious again. Bowling soon regained consciousness and was
savagely killed. Two people have now been crying profusely begging for Christopher to please let him go. Christopher told Bowling to shut-up,
charged in connection with these three January or he would finish him. Gary told detectives that he believes his brother strangled him at that time
homicides in Landrum after being arrested in and then he asked for some plastic bags. Gary and Kristina estimated that Christopher beat his victim
Florida for beating a man to death. for about one and a half to two hours. Kristina Sluss told detectives that the beating was so loud that
it drew neighbors outside to the driveway.
At a press conference on Friday,
Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright After Bowling appeared to have succumbed to his injuries, Gary Taylor, Jr. helped his brother put
announced the arrests of Christopher Russell Bowling’s body in plastic bags, then placed it in the bathtub. The three then went to Christopher and
Taylor, 31, and Kristina Lynn Sluss, 37, of 655 Gary Taylor’s father’s house for dinner.
Landrum Mill Road, Landrum, SC. They were each charged with three counts of murder, possession of
a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, and armed robbery. When the three returned to the apartment that evening, they loaded Bowling’s body into the
trunk of a car, and drove south. Christopher Taylor located the remote location off of Old Bowling
Wright said Spartanburg County investigators were contacted by law enforcement in Polk County, Green Road where they decided to dump the body. An orange grove worker found the remains of the
Florida about a homicide there where the victim was dismembered. “While being interviewed, one of 47-year-old victim.
the suspects in that case started discussing what happened in Landrum,” Wright said. “That was how
investigators connected Taylor and Sluss with what happened here in Spartanburg County.” Polk County Florida Sheriff Grady Judd said, ”This was an angry, brutal, senseless murder. The
victim pleaded with his attacker, but Christopher Taylor is an individual with no mercy.” An autopsy
Investigators from the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office immediately traveled to Florida to was performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office in Florida on February 12, 2018. It determined that
conduct interviews with Taylor and Sluss about the Landrum case. Investigators learned that both Bowling’s cause of death was multiple injuries, with the manner being homicide. In addition to his
had ties to Landrum, SC. During the interviews, Sheriff Chuck Wright said a confession of the visible injuries, Bowling’s beating caused him to have a brain bleed.
triple homicide at 630 Landrum Mill Road was given. Taylor and Sluss reportedly told investigators
information about the homicides that described events and evidence that had not been released to the Christopher Taylor was charged with First Degree Murder, Tampering with Evidence, and False
public. Information that could only have been known by those who were present during the homicide.
Statement in a Capital Felony. Christopher Taylor’s prior criminal history includes arrests for: assault
Sheriff Chuck Wright shared, “The people in Spartanburg County can relax that we are 100 per-
cent sure that we have the right suspects. I have got confidence in our Solicitor’s Office — you know with a deadly weapon against a government official, armed robbery, burglary, larceny, conspiracy to
when the time is right they will be up here. It’s never going away.” Wright said the suspects knew the
homicide victims and it was not a random attack. They lived down the street from the victims’ home. commit larceny, property damage, fleeing to elude, and hit and run.

Sheriff Chuck Wright also wants to inform the public of a clarification that he does not believe Gary Taylor, Jr. was charged with Accessory after the Fact and Tampering with Evidence.
these suspects are connected with any cold cases in South Carolina.
Kristina Sluss was charged with Accessory after the Fact and Tampering with Evidence. Kristina
According to arrest warrants, Taylor and Sluss are accused of using a “lethal cutting instrument”
to kill the three victims. The pair is also accused of stealing money and drugs from the victims, accord- Sluss’ prior criminal history includes arrests for: sale of schedule 3 drug, resisting arrest, public intoxi-
ing to the warrants. Taylor and Sluss remain detained in Polk County, Florida.
cation, failure to appear, and several violations of probation.
FLORIDA MURDER
Exactly one week after the body of 47-year-old Douglas John Bowling was found near an orange To view Sheriff Chuck Wright’s live press conference please visit Upstate Newspapers-Landrum News Leader on Facebook.
grove south of Fort Meade, the Florida Polk County Sheriff’s Office charged a man in Winter Haven,
Florida with 1st-degree murder, and two others have been charged with accessory after the fact.
Christopher R. Taylor, 31 was already in the Polk County Jail after providing false information to detec-
tives during the investigation; he has now been charged with Bowling’s murder, and tampering with
evidence. Also charged in the case were Gary J. Taylor, Jr., 21, and Kristina Sluss, 37, both of whom
were charged with accessory after the fact, and tampering with evidence.
The victim, and the three suspects were all from Winter Haven, and knew each other. Sluss and
Christopher Taylor live together at 1830 Avenue O SW, Apt. A, in Winter Haven, and Gary Taylor
lives in Apartment B. Christopher and Gary are brothers.
According to the arrest affidavit, Gary and Kristina told detectives that Mr. Bowling came
to Kristina and Christopher’s apartment on February 10, 2018 around 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. Bowling

WRECK ON HIGHWAY 11 Landrum Home
INTERSECTION OF SMITH/TUGALOO
Invasion Trio Convicted
On Friday night around 11:03pm a two car crash occurred on Highway 11 at the intersection of Tugaloo Road and Smith Road near the Gowensville community.
Several people were transported to the hospital. By Tricia Taber Justin Michael Toney
Michael Toney Berryman
Two years ago on March Vadrea Michelle Swope
19, 2016 the Landrum Police
Department responded to a
home invasion that occurred
on Brookwood Creek Drive at
approximately 7:20am. A subject
came into the home, took several
items, and had stolen the victim’s
car. Other jurisdictions were noti-
fied to be on the look out for a
burgundy 2014 Nissan Altima.

The Landrum Police
Department was given a tip about
that particular vehicle being
in the Augusta, Georgia area.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s
Office spotted this vehicle at a
Budget Inn Motel where the car
was found occupied by Justin
Michael Toney. Soon after
the tip, an arrest was made at
11:00pm. Justin Michael Toney
was recently sentenced to 35
years, his half-brother, Michael
Toney Berryman was sentenced
to 10 years, plus 10 years sus-
pended to 5 years probation, and
Vadrea Michelle Swope was sen-
tenced to 10 years suspended to
probation. Landrum Police Chief
Edgens said, “I would like to
personally thank the citizens of
Landrum for their cooperation
and valuable information that
led to the successful prosecu-
tion of this case.”

CONTACT US Periodical Postage Paid PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 50¢
at Landrum, SC 29356
Single Copy
Send News and photos to us (USPS 0746-2654)
at news@upstatenewspapers.
Published by Upstate Newspapers
com by Monday. Inc.
Send all ads to us
at advertising@ P. O. Box 9
upstatenewspapers. Landrum, SC 29356
com by Monday 5pm