SUMTER, S.C. — New details have considerably changed the narrative of a deadly shooting investigation in Sumter.
Preliminary investigation suggested no charges for a woman who said she was attacked by 31-year-old Eugene Rhinehart III when he entered an unlocked door of her Robney Drive home. Sumter Police said at the time of the Oct. 2 attack that the woman managed to get a gun during the attack and opened fire, fatally wounding Rhinehart.
But police announced on Friday that the victim of the attack, later identified as 43-year-old Samantha Funchess, and another man in the home, 28-year-old Asaad Jamal McNeil of Rembert, gave conflicting accounts of what happened that night.
While police don't discount the details of the attack on Funchess - arriving officers found her injured - the latest information suggests both she and McNeil shot at Rhinehart. The new information also suggests the shooting happened outside the house where his body was found. Police also believe Funchess and McNeil pursued the attacker out of the home and both have since admitted to firing shots.
Funchess was taken into custody on Friday and is being held at the Sumter County Sheriff's Office Detention Center. Authorities are still searching for McNeil. Both face charges of voluntary manslaughter at this point. They were both federally prohibited from having a gun.
Anyone who knows more about the case or who may know the location of McNeil is asked to contact Sumter Police at 803-436-2700. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC and remain anonymous.