SUMTER, S.C. — Sumter County investigators have made an arrest in the shooting death of a man - a crime originally called in as a possible overdose.
The investigation began on Aug. 19 when deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office were called to Antelope Drive near Dalzell for a man who had become unresponsive.
The caller at the time reported that he thought the victim had overdosed on drugs. Deputies arrived soon after and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The ongoing investigation soon uncovered, however, that the victim, later identified as Richard Preusser, had a gunshot wound to his upper chest and an autopsy revealed that a gunshot wound is what killed him.
At the scene, before these additional details were discovered, deputies were speaking with two people who were in the home who were apparently roommates of Preusser.
The sheriff's office said one of them gave a false name but was quickly identified as 40-year-old Jason Edward Barnes. However, he escaped from the scene and wasn't caught until the next day.
The case continued to focus more closely on Barnes after he gave what the sheriff's office described as inconsistent stories regarding what happened to Preusser.
Following the autopsy finds and the discovery of the suspected murder weapon, warrants were secured against Barnes for murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
He's now in jail awaiting a bond hearing on the charges.
