The Federal Bureau of Investigation has started an investigation of the shooting death of a South Carolina black man by a white man, whose body was then dragged behind a pickup truck for 10 miles.
The FBI is trying to determine if 19-year-old Gregory Collins should be charged with a hate crime. He is being held for the murder of 30-year-old Anthony Hill of Winnsboro, S.C., about 30 miles north of Columbia.
Police say Hill’s body was found on U.S. Highway 176 by a passing motorist around 4:30 a.m Wednesday, June 2. Deputies then followed a trail of blood they say stretched for several miles and over several roads from the crime scene to Collins’ trailer.
The crime is particularly striking because it closely resembles the heinous dragging murder of James Byrd Jr. of Jasper, Texas. In that case, two white men wrapped a chain around Byrd, who was still alive, then dragged him behind their pickup truck until his arms and head broke off. They then left the remaining torso adjacent to the town’s black cemetery.
When police arrived at Collins’ trailer, he refused to come out and a three-hour standoff ensued. Collins finally surrendered after a SWAT team decided to force him out using tear gas. Collins was immediately taken into custody. He was unarmed, but was wearing an empty gun holster, according to WLTX.
Although the coroner has concluded that Hill died from a gunshot wound to the head, deputies and the FBI are trying to determine why Collins dragged the victim’s body nearly 10 miles.
“We don’t yet have a definitive motive,” State Law Enforcement Division Director Reggie Lloyd told WLTX. “But out of precaution, given the circumstances, we are investigating the racial angle.” He added that they weren’t ready to “attribute something to Collins that isn’t necessarily true.” –terry shropshire
