On a tragic Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the life of 66-year-old Josephine Barton was cut short in a violent encounter in Camden, South Carolina. A resident of Columbia, Barton was at her mother's home on Dicey Ford Road when the fatal events unfolded. The quiet neighborhood was disrupted by the sound of gunshots, prompting a 911 call around 11:30 a.m.
When Camden police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered a grim reality inside the residence.
Josephine Barton and her estranged husband, Kovac Bynum, were both found deceased. Investigators pieced together a harrowing narrative of a domestic dispute that escalated to a murder-suicide. It is believed that Bynum followed Barton to her mother's home, and shots were fired from outside before he entered the house. The Kershaw County Coroner, David West, stated that it appeared Bynum fatally shot Barton before turning the gun on himself. A pistol was found near his body, corroborating the preliminary findings.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Camden Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, revealed a history of domestic strife between the couple. Fortunately, Barton's elderly mother, who was present in the home at the time of the incident, was physically unharmed but was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. The community was left to mourn the loss of Josephine Barton, who was remembered as a cherished mother, grandmother, and friend.
