On a tragic day in October of 2016, the lives of Charles 'Buddy' Deas, a 32-year-old male, and his wife, Andrea 'Andie' Deas, were brutally cut short in Edgefield County, South Carolina. The couple was found deceased in their home on Marigold Street on the evening of October 9th after a neighbor reported the residence was engulfed in flames.
Firefighters who responded to the scene made the grim discovery of the couple's bodies inside the bedroom where the fire had originated.
The intensity of the blaze made it immediately apparent to the first responders that they were dealing with a recovery rather than a rescue. Several of the couple's dogs were also found deceased in the living room.
An autopsy later revealed a more sinister story than the fire suggested. Both Charles and Andrea Deas had died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest area before the fire was set. Investigators determined they had been shot from behind. Evidence recovered from the scene included the barrel of a. 22 rifle found in the remnants of the mattress.
The investigation quickly led law enforcement to identify a person of interest: Dameion Edwin Thomas, an Aiken County man. Thomas was seen driving the victims' vehicle and using their debit card in the hours following their deaths. Further evidence tied him to the crime, including gunshot residue found on the clothes he was wearing and on the steering wheel of the Deas's vehicle. Testimony during the trial revealed that the Deas's had been having issues with Thomas, and a relative of Thomas testified that he had admitted to killing two people.
Prosecutors argued that Thomas had killed the couple shortly after lunchtime on October 9th, drove their vehicle for several hours, and then returned to their home in the evening to set the fire in an attempt to conceal the murders. In October 2019, a jury found Dameion Edwin Thomas guilty of two counts of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole.
