Deirdre Lynn Behling Holmes, a 52-year-old female, was tragically killed on Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Walterboro, South Carolina. Born in the Bronx, New York, on February 26, 1970, she was raised in the Sandhill community of Walterboro and graduated from Walterboro High School in 1988. Known for her deep love for family, she was a foster parent who nurtured numerous children as her own.
Her life was cut short in an act of gun violence that also claimed the life of her 36-year-old son, Timothy Tyrone 'Te Te' Behling.
The incident unfolded in the late afternoon at their home on Enchanted Lane. According to reports from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, a distressing 911 call was made by a younger child in the home, who reported that his father had shot his mother and older brother. When deputies arrived at the residence, they discovered the bodies of Deirdre and her son, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The suspect, Deirdre's husband, James Lee Holmes, was located a short distance from the crime scene and surrendered to authorities without incident. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Investigators reported that James Holmes became enraged after an argument about a trailer he had loaded with items for the dump, which he found unloaded upon returning from an errand. This dispute escalated, leading him to open fire on his family members. In addition to killing his wife and son, he also fired at his teenage daughter, who narrowly escaped injury.
James Lee Holmes was denied bond following his arrest and remained in custody at the Colleton County Detention Center. In December 2023, he pleaded guilty to the murders of his wife and son, as well as to the attempted murder of his daughter. For his crimes, he received a sentence of 30 years for each murder, 30 years for the attempted murder, and an additional five years for the weapons charge, with the sentences to be served concurrently.
