Estill police arrest suspect in murder of man found dead in vehicle

ESTILL, S.C. (WTOC) - Estill police have arrested a suspect in the murder of a man found dead in a vehicle after a single-vehicle crash Tuesday morning.

A’Khir Shaheed Brown, 22, of Morrison Avenue in Estill, was arrested for the murder of Richard “Ricky” Bryant Taylor, 58, of Estill, according to the Estill Police Department.

The coroner identified Taylor as the man found in the driver’s seat when police responded to the crash on Lawton Avenue near Third Street before 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Police found a vehicle with its lights on in bushes on the side of Lawton Avenue.

The medical examiner determined the cause of death was a single bullet. The Hampton County Coroner was unable to assign a definitive cause of death prior to the autopsy.

The Estill Police Department was assisted by SLED and the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.

Chief Chauncey Solomon thanked Sheriff Russell for allowing his investigators and officers to assist and thanked the state law enforcement division for assisting the Estill Police Department. Solomon said the citizens of Estill made him proud with the amount of assistance and support the investigation received, which led to a swift identification and arrest of the suspect.