For readers outside of Hampton County, you may not be aware that a dead body was discovered here by “hunters” two weeks ago. I say “hunters” because that is how our local paper, The Hampton County Guardian” has been describing them. However it was really two of our guides from Cypress Creek Hunting Lodge.

The guides were leaving one of the properties after filling some feeders when they noticed a rotten smell, so they pulled over to see if it was a dead deer. Unfortunately it was a 22-year-old black man that had been shot several times in the head and left about 20 yards deep in the woods! They of course called the local Sheriff’s department who came out to investigate. And since then, rumors have really flown around our rural county about what had happened to him and why. Finally on Thursday, The Guardian reported that two local men had been charged with the killing, and that it was possibly gang related.

I know we live deep in the beautiful lowcountry where we should be immune to these types of problems. However we are not! We have quite a crack and meth problem along with a gang problem in several of our small towns. And despite claims from local law enforcement officials, it doesn’t seem to be going away.

There is a shooting or stabbing almost every week in our county over drug money. And God help you if you leave anything unattended or unsecured on your property these days, because the thieves will be right out to get it. That also includes “junk” since they can get a good penny for scrap to help pay for their habits. And unfortunately it is not always stuff that isn’t wanted. Many folks that live out here have old stuff that was left over from their parents and grandparents, and they like it sitting around giving the old farms character and constantly reminding them of their relatives. For instance, one of our friends has a farm just down the road from us, and last year the scrap thieves took his dad’s old truck. He didn’t drive it every day, but he kept it to remember his dad. But to the crooks, it was just crack money. And of course I have posted several times about the Cubbedge Hill Plantation clubhouse being broken in to as well as about the thieves that stole a couple of disc harrows off of the property and the poachers that we caught turkey hunting.

I personally am so tired of putting up with these scumbags here in our beautiful lowcountry. Unfortunately it will probably take one of the gangbangers to kill a more well-to-do person before anything is truly done about our problems. And I know that statement is very harsh and I don’t agree that it should be that way, but it is the truth.

Jeff

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