New arrest coming in slaying of man found buried in Windsor
WINDSOR, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - There’s a fifth arrest coming in the death of a Graniteville man, according to authorities.
Michael Dwayne Williams Jr., 35, of Aiken, was taken to a hospital for a drug overdose, according to Aiken County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Eric Abdullah.
As soon as he’s released from the hospital. Williams will be taken into custody in connection with the death of John Thomas Belote, according to Abdullah.
Authorities had said they were looking for Williams.
Suzanne Marier Boozer, of the 900 block of Windsor Road, was arrested Friday and charged with accessory after the fact for murder, according to inmate records. She remains in jail with a bond set at $15,000.
Boozer s three other suspects charged and arrested in the death of John Thomas Belote, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say Thomas William Guinn, 30, of Windsor and Williams are facing charges of murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Guinn was taken into custody at 107 Groves Park Court. A citizen’s tip led to his arrest, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Aiken County Detention Center records, Guinn, Donald Britton, 51, and Cody Wooten, 37, both of the 100 block of Britton Road, all face charges in connection to the removal of human remains.
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Britton and Wooten are also charged with accessory after the fact for murder, according to inmate records.
Guinn was previously granted a $15,000 bond at a hearing when he was first arrested July 18 on a lower charge. The charges were soon upgraded after the remains were identified as Belote’s.
Wooten was granted a $10,000 personal recognizance bond after being arrested. He was re-arrested on July 21. Wooten was released again on Aug. 4 on a $5,000 bond, according to the Aiken County Detention Center.
The remains were Belote was identified. The autopsy determined the cause of death was due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Before the identification, the family of John Thomas Belote, 39, feared they were his remains.
According to the arrest warrants, investigators believe Boozer, Wooten, Guinn and Britton removed the remains from an unmarked shallow grave at 916 Windsor Road to a similar grave at 379 Wendy Lane.
The first shallow grave is around two minutes away from Britton Road and the second location is around a 10-minute drive.
As the remains were being moved, they were torn into two pieces and treated in a “disrespectful manner,” according to authorities.
Belote’s family says he was last seen June 28 around the Windsor and Graniteville area.
According to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, Cierra Belote, Belote’s daughter, reported him missing June 30.
According to her report, when she last spoke to her father, he told her he got into an argument with Britton. Belote allegedly told other friends and family he was either going to see his ex-girlfriend, Kelsey Ledford, or meet Ledford’s father, Britton, in Windsor.
Since that conversation, the family did not hear from Belote, according to the daughter.
Britton was listed as a suspect on the missing person report. He was arrested July 12 on drug and gun-related charges. He remains in jail without bond.
The family told us it was infuriating to see that two men were able to originally get bond with these charges, especially one of them on a personal recognizance bond. They say it feels like a slap in the face.
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