A Minnesota woman died during a South Carolina vacation after prosecutors say a bartender violently pushed her down a staircase.
Joyce Tomlinson, 62, had traveled to Edisto Island on October 3, 2025, to spend time with her longtime best friend, Ruth Peterson, during what was meant to be a girls’ getaway.
The women, who had been friends for nearly five decades, were leaving Coot’s Bar and Grill when bartender Mary Hunt allegedly shoved Tomlinson down a 16-step staircase.
Tomlinson died three weeks after the incident. Hunt has been charged in connection with her death and could face up to 30 years in prison.
Peterson told Fox 8 Live that she and Tomlinson had been enjoying a pleasant evening celebrating Peterson’s birthday before the outing turned tragic.
“We were there to have fun, and you know, hang out; girlfriends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time,” Peterson said. “It got too crowded.”
The friends decided to leave. Peterson went outside to retrieve the car while Tomlinson remained inside to settle the bill.
“I turned around to see if she had come out yet. Joyce turned back around to head down the stairs,” Peterson recalled.
Joyce Tomlinson, 62, died on October 26, 2025, after prosecutors say she was pushed down a staircase three weeks earlier during a vacation on Edisto Island, South Carolina
Bartender Mary Hunt was charged with voluntary manslaughter and could receive up to 30 years in prison over the alleged push
“The lady just took off running and pushed her with both hands as hard as she could in the back.”
Peterson said Tomlinson was sent tumbling down the staircase, apparently missing the steps entirely before landing headfirst on a concrete slab.
“At that point, I ran over to her and I couldn’t find a pulse,” Peterson said. “She was bleeding from the ears and from her mouth. I knew it was a bad head injury.”
First responders found Tomlinson unresponsive on the concrete, though she was still breathing and bleeding.
Peterson said the severity of her friend’s injuries was immediately apparent, with blood visible around Tomlinson’s ears and mouth.
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A witness told police that Hunt had been shouting at Tomlinson inside the bar. According to the witness, the dispute intensified when the bartender allegedly grabbed Tomlinson by the throat and attempted to pull her outside.
Hunt gave investigators a different account, saying Tomlinson had been belligerent, shouted at the bartenders and fell down the stairs on her own.
Tomlinson’s best friend said she watched as the Minnesota woman flew down the staircase and struck her head on a concrete slab
Tomlinson was airlifted to a hospital and underwent emergency brain surgery, but died three weeks later
Tomlinson was flown to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where doctors performed a craniotomy in an effort to save her life.
However, after weeks in the hospital, she died on October 26, 2025.
A GoFundMe created for Tomlinson, who leaves behind a son, described her as a ‘kind and giving soul to everyone who knew her.’
‘In her no-nonsense way, she always knew the right thing to say when you needed to hear it,’ the fundraiser reads.
Hunt was charged with voluntary manslaughter, a rare charge that involves emotional intent.
Attorney Brady Vannoy described the offense to the outlet: ‘Voluntary manslaughter, there’s not enough time to cool off.
‘The lady just took off running and pushed her with both hands as hard as she could in the back,’ said Ruth Peterson, the victim’s friend (Pictured)
‘If there’s a cooling off period, it’s going to be a murder. A cooling-off period is a period of time where somebody would have adequate time to reflect on the situation and what they’re doing.’
Judges in the surrounding counties where the crime took place sentence defendants to 20 years or longer more than 50 percent of the time when they face voluntary manslaughter charges.
Hunt was released on a $100,000 bond but violated its conditions and is locked up at the Colleton County Jail.
