Florence Murder Suspect’s Fiancée Arrested on Accomplice and Drug Charges
In the city of Florence, South Carolina, the fiancée of a murder suspect, who was killed by local police in a standoff last month, has now been arrested and charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder and distribution of methamphetamine.
Details of the Arrest
41-year-old Lynette Dawn King of Florence was arrested on Wednesday and is currently being held at the Florence County Detention Center, pending a bond hearing. King’s significant other, Matthew Barry, was identified as a murder suspect in the case of the killing of 34-year-old Idris Cooper. After a police call out to arrest Barry in relation to Cooper’s murder, a police standoff ensued, ending in Barry firing at officers and subsequently being shot and killed by police.
Murder Details Revealed
The murder of Idris Cooper took place at the Colonial Gardens apartments in the 500 block of Third Loop Road on July 21. Cooper’s phone was reported to have revealed a connection to King, with records showing a call between Cooper and Lynette King placed shortly before the murder at 12:49 a.m. Surveillance footage also shows Barry and King leaving the Brittany Drive apartments later that night and returning together around 1:10 a.m., about 15 minutes after a 911 call was made about the shooting.
Search and Seizure
During a police search of the 2013 Toyota Camry used by King and Barry on the night of the shooting, investigators found the car’s roof was bloodied and retrieved two shell casings within it. Upon searching King at the time of her arrest, authorities discovered a dispenser containing 4.5 grams of methamphetamine and additional narcotics concealed inside her body with the help of a body scanner. When the authorities took her for medical examination, she allegedly removed the dispenser and ingested some of the narcotics, which included fentanyl, before the rest of the methamphetamine was recovered from her bed covers.
Pending Trial
Lynette King was held for several days at the hospital for treatment following the incident at her arrest before being taken to jail on Sunday. She now awaits a bond hearing in custody at the Florence County Detention Center. As investigations continue, her charges of being an accessory after the fact to murder and distribution of methamphetamine loom large, heralding a concerted effort by the Florence authorities towards justice and drug control in the city.
