3 charged with murder in connection with fatal Burton house fire
This story was updated Feb. 28, 2017, to correct the location of the fire and the hometown of Brian Walls. The Falls Road home is located in Burton and Brian Walls is a resident of Burton.
Three people have been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Burton woman who was found in her burned out home in December, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Courtney Brock, 22, of Burton; John Priester, 25, described by the Sheriff’s Office as a Burton-area homeless man; and Brian Walls, 35, of Burton, are suspected in the slaying of Teresa “Resa” Seigler, 56, who died after her Falls Road home was set on fire on Dec. 7.
Brock was detained in Beaufort County Detention Center just before 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Priester and Walls were already in custody on other charges and were served with murder warrants in the detention center.
All three are awaiting bond hearings.
Priester was already incarcerated after being charged with arson on Dec. 9 in connection with the fire at Seigler’s home. His bond on the arson charge was set at $150,000, according to online detention center records.
Walls was already incarcerated on charges of kidnapping and rape in connection with a separate incident that allegedly occurred the night before Seigler’s death, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Two juveniles also were implicated in setting the house fire along with Priester and were petitioned to the Beaufort County Family Court on arson charges, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release issued Monday. The two juveniles are from northern Beaufort County, but no further information about them was available, Sheriff’s Office Capt. Bob Bromage said Monday afternoon.
The two juveniles also were charged with three counts of assault and battery on a police officer and two counts of resisting a police officer in connection with a separate incident in which a deputy was allegedly attacked at the Beaufort Econo Lodge on Boundary Street the night of Seigler’s death, Bromage confirmed. The deputy was aided by Sea Eagle Market’s Craig Reaves when he saw the two young men “whaling on” the deputy.
Specific information about the scene of Seigler’s death was not available, Bromage said, adding it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss specifics at this point in the investigation.
In mid-February, forensic pathologists at Medical University of South Carolina determined Seigler “died as a result of homicidal violence.”
Forensic evidence at the scene linked Brock, Priester and Walls to Seigler’s death, according to the Sheriff’s Office release.
Additional charges might still be brought against the suspects in connection with the case, but there are no additional suspects at this time, Bromage said.
Seigler was rescued from her home by Burton Fire District responders and transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital by EMS, but she died a short time later, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release issued the day of her death.
Firefighters found Seigler in a bedroom of the single-story home, which was filled with smoke but not yet reached by flames.
The investigation remains active, according to the most recent Sheriff’s Office release.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division arson investigators aided the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
Seigler had children and grandchildren, a close friend told The Beaufort Gazette and The Island Packet in the days after her death. She had previously been active in Praise Assembly Church. One of Seigler’s two dogs died in the fire.
Anyone with information about the case may contact Cpl. Jason Malphrus at 843-255-3426 or CrimeStoppers 1-888-CrimeSC.
Joan McDonough: 843-706-8125, @IPBG_Joan
Special report
10 years of homicides
Feb. 24, 2017 From 2007 to 2016, 95 people have died in homicides across the county. Topping the list are young black men. | READ
This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 5:16 PM with the headline "3 charged with murder in connection with fatal Burton house fire."