Crime & Public Safety

Police seek info in Burton man’s shooting death, ruled a homicide by coroner

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information in the death of a Burton man that’s been ruled a homicide.

Steven Whitlock, 55, was found dead Saturday afternoon on a lawn on Franklin Drive. Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services determined he was deceased.

On the scene, police determined that “the cause of the man’s death was not apparent, but believed suspicious,” according to an alert from the sheriff’s office.

On Monday, Whitlock underwent a forensic autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, where pathologists determined that his death was a homicide and that he died from gunshot wounds.

“Anyone who has information is encouraged to contact Sergeant David Tafoya at 843-255-3430 or Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry at 843-554-1111, if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward,” the alert read.

Rachel Jones
The Island Packet
Rachel Jones covers education for the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for the Daily Tar Heel and Charlotte Observer. She has won awards from the South Carolina Press Association, Associated College Press and North Carolina College Media Association for feature writing and education reporting.
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