Murder suspect should never have gotten bond, sheriff says
A murder suspect who was back in jail a day after posting bond should never have been let out, says Darlington County Sheriff Tony Chavis.
Freddie Ray Harris III, who had been jailed since December in the slaying of a Hartsville man, recently was granted a $100,000 bond and posted 10 percent of the bond on Friday, securing his release.
By Saturday night, he was back in jail, accused of violating terms of his bond. Officials did not specify exactly how he allegedly violated conditions of his bond. But the Sheriff’s Office responded with its Special Incident Response Team, Sheriff’s Bloodhound Tracking Team and Criminal Investigations Division, Chavis said.
Chavis said Harris was taken back into custody Saturday evening at a residence on Golf Course Road.
“Harris should have never been given a bond on a murder charge and allowed to go home,” said Chavis. “As long as they keep letting murderers out, my deputies and me will be prepared to lock them right back up. Harris is clearly a danger to the community.”
Harris is accused of killing Kurt Russell Scholl of Hartsville at a home on Racetrack Road in December 2019. Scholl’s friends and family last week protested the fact that a judge had set bond for him at all.
— Bobby Bryant
