Valerie Kwaita Baccus, a 46-year-old Black / African American female, was a resident of Florence, South Carolina, known for her warm presence and her work at Assurant where she had formed close bonds with colleagues who considered her like family. On June 2, 2021, her life came to a sudden and violent end at a residence on West Cheves Street. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find Valerie suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, an event that shocked the local community and left her
friends and relatives mourning the loss of a woman described as genuine and loving.
The investigation into her death moved rapidly as law enforcement identified a suspect within hours of the shooting. Authorities named her 25-year-old son, Eric Timmons Jr., as the individual responsible for the homicide. Following the incident, Timmons reportedly fled the state, prompting a coordinated manhunt involving the Florence Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force. Investigators tracked his movements across the state line into North Carolina, where information led them to a motel in Sanford.
By the evening of the same day, law enforcement officers located Timmons at an Econo Lodge on North Horner Boulevard in Sanford, North Carolina. He was taken into custody without incident by a team that included local drug agents and police. Timmons was subsequently charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Following his arrest, he was held without bail to await extradition back to South Carolina to face the charges related to his mother's death.
