In the fading daylight of a late October evening in Greenville, South Carolina, a friend's concern led to a grim discovery. On Sunday, October 27, 2019, the body of 55-year-old Roger Taylor Belton, a Black/African American male, was found inside a vacant, under-renovation apartment at the Stratham Place Apartments on Shaw Street. The Greenville County Coroner's Office would later confirm that Belton had died from multiple gunshot wounds.
Known affectionately in his community as 'Horse,' 'Pops,' and 'Old Timer,' Belton was a familiar figure in the area. He was homeless and relied on a walker to get around.
The evening before his body was discovered, on Saturday, October 26, Belton was last seen around 11 p.m. at the intersection of Shaw Street and Crest Lane. In the early hours of the following morning, around 4 a.m., witnesses in the area reported hearing the sound of four gunshots. It wasn't until nearly 7 p.m. that evening that a friend, searching for Belton, entered the vacant apartment and found him deceased. The coroner estimated the time of death to be around 5 a.m. on that Sunday.
Despite the passage of time, the case of who killed Roger Taylor Belton remains unsolved. The Greenville Police Department has actively investigated the homicide, expressing their belief that there were multiple witnesses to the shooting. Investigators have urged anyone with information about the crime, the motive, or the individuals involved to come forward, but so far, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The search for justice for 'Pops' continues as his death is still an open and active cold case.
