Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- The cousin of one man who died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the Allen Benedict Court apartments is making an emotional plea.
He's calling for new leadership at the Columbia Housing Authority and for all administrators to be held accountable.
As soon as David Darby heard the news about his cousin, Calvin Witherspoon, Junior, anger and resentment filled his heart.
"For Mr. Walker to get on TV and say he didn't know, how did you become the director? You're the chief. You're the head man and you don't know what your Indians are doing? You don't know what's in your tee-pee, but you're the chief? I find that hard to believe," said Darby. "Houston, we have a problem!"
He says he witnessed his cousin turn in at least two work orders to management at Allen Benedict. That's because Darby lived at the complex, too.
"I just didn't know it was this bad," said Darby about conditions inside his cousin's unit.
The two would spend time together on occasion, but sometimes, Darby says, his cousin's health problems would keep him home.
"I asked him about going fishing, but he said the weather sometimes handicapped him. He couldn't breathe good," said Darby.
In work orders obtained by our Deep Dive team, we learned from January to April of 2018, Witherspoon reported issues with his heating system and water heater at least six times.
"I guess his pride was in the way, but I had already told 'Spoon, 'Tell them people down at the office that you mean business!'" said Darby.
Darby says he also would report countless maintenance issues to management. Some problems, he says, wouldn't be fixed for months.
"My apartment was 20 feet from a hole in the ground that was emitting methane gas," Darby told us. "The maintenance people who were digging the hole in the ground [told me]...Then the birds stopped coming. I guess it just became overwhelming to the birds. They would not come over there where I'd feed them at."
Darby lives under Section 8 now, and he says conditions are far better at his new place.
He says negligence is to blame for the two lives lost, and unless one thing gets done, he says another tragedy could be next.
"As sure as my name is David, it's going to happen again unless you nip it in the bud now. You must change the administration," he said. "In this life, take it from David Darby, you reap what you sow."
Next week, we take a closer look at maintenance issues Darby faced in the Y building of Allen Benedict Court.
He says issues were potentially life-threatening. So much so, he says even his doctor wrote a letter to alert the Housing Authority.