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Man acquitted of stepchild's deathSaturday, October 11, 2008
DILLON — A jury has found a Dillon County man not guilty of killing his 10-year-old stepdaughter 15 years ago but convicted him of kidnapping her. Judge Michael Nettles sentenced 43-year-old Sam Harmon on Thursday to 12 years in prison but gave him credit for the three years he's been in jail. He is eligible for parole in a year. Harmon faced murder and kidnapping charges in the disappearance of his stepdaughter, Shakeima Cabbagestalk. The Morning News of Florence reported the girl was last seen with Harmon at a convenience store in July 1993. Prosecutors said she was murdered, even though her body was never found. |
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by willbillbedamned on October 11, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Verdicts like this lend credence for professional juries No body, no murder. I guess the fools figured she's living a life of luxury on some beach somewhere. He's eligible for parole, next year.
Posted by majorjohnson on October 11, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So a professional jury would convict someone of murder based on nothing but circumstancial evidence? Maybe he sold the kid to gypsies, maybe he arranged for an illegal adoption, maybe he let her go in the woods and she was raised by feral dogs. How do you prove "beyond a reasonable doubt" that someone murdered someone else with no body and no witnesses that a murder occurred? While I BELIEVE that he probably did kill her, it can't even be PROVED that she's dead, much less that she was murdered and that he did it.
Posted by charlestonroots on October 12, 2008 at midnight (Suggest removal)
If that were my child, he would be begging to stay in jail.
Posted by lexylady on October 12, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
charlestonroots, I second that!!
Posted by southerngirl45 on October 12, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He was the last one to see her alive.He kidnaped her we know this! Dillon County, do you need a rocket scientist to figure this one out? You people better hire you some REAL detectives!WHEREVER SHE IS HE IS RESPONCIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!