BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — A 33-year-old man has been charged with two counts of murder and more after a local and state investigation uncovered disturbing details during an arson investigation.
One of the most concerning findings authorities made was that the victims didn't die because of the fires.
The Bishopville Police Department announced on Friday that it had served Jeremy Dion Dixon with two counts each of murder, kidnapping, first-degree burglary, and second-degree arson.
The charges stem from two house fires that happened in Bishopville in late 2022 - one on Oct. 9 and another on Dec. 19.
The first fire happened on Harris Street with a woman, 72-year-old Iris Croft, being found dead inside the home. The next happened on South Heyward Street. Inside, authorities found 83-year-old Barbara Adams Austin dead.
In both cases, the coroner's office and an autopsy by Newberry Pathology found the victims did not die because of the fire. In Friday's update, the Bishopville Police Department didn't describe how either woman died but they did tie murder and kidnapping charges to both.
Furthermore, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Forensic Services laboratory linked both together and served Dixon with warrants at the Sumter-Lee Detention Center where he had been held since Jan. 6 on other charges.
The police department also released details on previous convictions against Dixon that went back to 2007 and included third-degree burglary, possession with intent to distribute near a school, criminal domestic violence, resisting arrest, and common law robbery.
Authorities haven't identified a motive for the latest crimes or said whether the suspect in the case knew either victim.
Chief of Police James Dellinger did say the first victim, Croft, had a master's degree and loved pets.
Austin, meanwhile, was very active in the community through the garden club, arts council, and the newspaper. She also attended every local Crime Stoppers meeting the police department hosted prior to COVID.