Demolition of murder, arson site in Bluffton may be getting closer

Since New Year's Day 2006, the half-burned home has been a grisly reminder of a gruesome shotgun slaying and the cause of nightmares for some children in the Baywood subdivision in Bluffton.

But the house may soon be about to fall.

If all goes as planned, the legal limbo that has kept it from being torn down could end next month, according to an attorney representing the estate of Ellen Dosch McCormick.

Because Ellen McCormick, 50, did not leave a will, the house would have become the property of her estranged husband, Charles McCormick. He beat her in the kitchen before placing a pillow over her head and shooting her.

Before leaving, Charles McCormick doused the two-story house with gasoline, opened a propane tank and lit a small fire in the garage.

Charles McCormick, 51, was convicted Jan. 30 and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. That day the neighborhood celebrated: Justice had been served against the man they described as "Jekyll and Hyde," and the eyesore's days were numbered.

While Charles McCormick has appealed his murder and arson convictions as well as his sentence, the appeals process probably won't affect the estate, said Solicitor Duffie Stone.

Despite that, moves toward demolition have been slow.

The house, now assessed by the county at $82,700, is worth less than the outstanding amount owed on the $145,350 mortgage the McCormicks took out in 2003, said Bob Arundell, the attorney representing the estate for Ellen McCormick's two sons, who are in their early 20s and live in Connecticut.

The estate has no money, Arundell said. Charles McCormick was still listed on the home's insurance policy -- and he was convicted of torching the home -- so it will take some negotiations to get the insurance company to pay enough to settle the mortgage and bulldoze the house.

"What we're trying to say is that she was legally separated from him, and once the house is just hers, then he's not allowed to collect on the insurance policy, but her estate is," Arundell said. "I think we're starting to reach some agreement on things. If everything goes the way I want -- and that's a big 'if' -- I think we'll be able to begin cleaning up the lot in June. Obviously, though, a lot of people have to nod and say 'yes.' "

Two agents from Ellen McCormick's former employer, Charter I Realty, would then list the empty lot for sale.