Inset, top to bottom: Larry Moore and Sandra Moore (WYFF) and Levi Kevin Jones (Oconee County Detention Center). Background: The area in South Carolina where Jones allegedly killed the elderly couple (Google Maps).
A 19-year-old from South Carolina stands accused of the tragic murder of his grandparents, with allegations pointing to a combination of strangulation and stabbing that took the lives of the 76-year-old man and 75-year-old woman earlier this month.
Authorities revealed that Levi Kevin Jones was apprehended over the weekend and now faces charges of murder and weapon possession during a violent crime. The victims, Larry and Sandra Moore, were discovered at their home on Cromer Moore Drive in Westminster. This information was part of a news release by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, which stated deputies were dispatched for a welfare check around 9:05 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.
The call for a welfare check originated from a concerned family member, who entered the victims’ home after they had been unreachable for several days, only to make the grim discovery.
During a Saturday morning news conference, Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said that investigators determined that Larry Moore and Sandra Moore were “both killed at the hands of another.” According to the sheriff, Sandra Moore was “strangled” to death while her husband died from being stabbed “several times” in the neck and torso.
Sheriff Crenshaw informed the media that investigators uncovered the murder weapon late on Friday, and by 11 p.m., Jones was arrested at his home.
The sheriff noted that the investigation into these disturbing deaths is still active, and additional charges against Jones could be filed as the case develops.
Prior to this incident, Jones had no criminal history.
Authorities have not released a possible motive for the murders.
Following his arrest, Jones was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center where he is awaiting a bond hearing. The sheriff noted that Jones will have to appear before a circuit judge as opposed to a magistrate judge for the bond hearing, which he said should take place sometime this week.
The victims were members of the local Calvary Church, which described them as “backbones of the congregation,” Fox News Digital reported. The couple were also reportedly active in the community and spent decades as owners of the Moore & Moore Fish Camp before they retired in 2016.
