Inman, South Carolina

From Spartansburg’s GoUpstate.com of April 22, 2006

Inman man claims self-defense in slaying

An Inman man claims to have shot an acquaintance in self-defense Friday afternoon, but deputies were still trying to determine later that evening whether charges would be filed in the killing.

David Lamar Staggs, 54, of 270 Park Street in Inman, called the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office to report that he had shot a man about 3:15 p.m.

When deputies arrived, they found Garland Samuel Simpson III, 55, of 2225 Big Mulberry Trace, Campobello, dead in the Staggs' driveway.

Maj. Dan Johnson said Staggs told sheriff's deputies that Simpson attacked him with a knife and claimed to have shot Simpson in self-defense.

Johnson confirmed that Simpson was shot numerous times and that Staggs had wounds on his right hand that could have been the result of a knife attack.

Johnson said investigators were still piecing together what happened Friday.

"We're not even close to determining what happened," Johnson said. "We will also be interviewing witnesses and canvassing the neighborhood in the meantime."

Staggs' 28-year-old son Courtney Staggs stood outside the home on Friday while deputies surveyed the yard.

Police tape still formed a barrier from the backyard of the home to the trees across the street.

Courtney Staggs said he didn't know if his father owned a gun, but said his dad was the type to keep to himself.

Courtney Staggs, who lives with his father, spoke to elder Staggs and said he believed his father's version of the incident.

"This is all a shock," he said, while keeping his eyes fixed on the white sheet covering Simpson in the driveway. "For this to happen, (that) dude had to of did something."

No subsequent stories about this incident have been found