On a tragic day in Pelzer, South Carolina, 43-year-old Wanda Renee Anderson, a female, lost her life in a brutal triple homicide. The events of March 5, 2014, unfolded in a home on Law Street, where a senseless argument over a pair of shoes escalated into a violent outburst that would claim three lives and leave another person wounded.
The catalyst for the violence was an accusation made by Victor Vandegrift, 48, that 34-year-old Jared Michael Williams had stolen his shoes.
In response to this accusation, Williams produced a handgun and began shooting. He fatally shot Vandegrift and 32-year-old Hank Eaton. A fourth individual, Tara Johnson Hendricks, was also shot but managed to survive by hiding under a bed. It was during this chaos that Wanda Anderson unknowingly walked into the home and was immediately shot and killed by Williams.
Following the shootings, Williams and his 19-year-old girlfriend, Hope Phillips, fled the scene in Anderson's truck, leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. The pursuit ended after Williams crashed a second stolen vehicle. Williams was subsequently charged with three counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder. Phillips was also arrested and faced charges including murder and accessory after the fact.
In November 2014, Jared Michael Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. However, his time in prison was short-lived. In March 2015, Williams died in custody from a methamphetamine overdose after swallowing a bag of the drugs.
The legal proceedings for Hope Phillips took a different turn. In November 2015, the murder and accessory charges against her were dropped due to inconsistencies in the testimony of the lone survivor. Phillips ultimately pleaded no contest to a grand larceny charge and was sentenced to time served, amounting to 611 days.
