Woman found dead inside car, but she didn’t die in a crash, SC coroner says
The body of a South Carolina woman who had been shot multiple times was found inside her vehicle Saturday, and several hours later a man was arrested on a murder charge, officials said.
Crystal Dawn Rainey, a 47-year-old Greenville resident, was found dead at about 6 a.m. in the Donalds area, the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office said.
The coroner called the shooting death a homicide.
Shortly after Rainey’s body was found, arrest warrants were issued for 40-year-old Joshua Dean Nix, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office said. In addition to murder, Nix was wanted for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said Nix was considered armed and dangerous.
At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, the sheriff’s office said Nix had been taken into custody overnight in Charleston.
Information about how deputies connected Nix to Rainey and her death, and how they tracked him down in Charleston, was not available.
There was no word on a motive for the shooting.
The death continues to be investigated by the coroner’s office and sheriff’s office.
No bond has been set for Nix, who’s being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston, jail records show.
Nix is also facing charges from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for two counts of kidnapping and assault and battery, according to jail records.
Since 2009, Nix has been convicted of multiple crimes, including assault, Charleston County court records show.
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This story was originally published August 13, 2023 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Woman found dead inside car, but she didn’t die in a crash, SC coroner says."
