Bail granted to homeowner who shot two men, burned the remains and buried them
A homeowner who admitted that he shot two men, burned their bodies and buried them in the backyard was granted bail on Monday after his lawyer cited South Carolina’s stand-your-ground law.
Bail was set at $250,000 for James Edward Loftis of Goose Creek, South Carolina, the Post and Courier reports in a story noted by the Washington Post. Loftis’ lawyer, Stephen Harris, said Loftis shot the two victims on March 5 after they confronted him in his home.
Loftis had claimed the two victims, a cab driver and the driver’s friend, had forced their way into his home after driving him home from a strip club. Once inside, they demanded cab fare.
According to police, Loftis retrieved a gun rather than cab fare and fired eight shots, killing both men. Loftis’ wife called police after arriving home to see bullet holes in the wall and blood on the floor.
Harris argued that Loftis cleaned his home with bleach and tried to hide the bodies because “he freaked out and thought he was going to prison.” Loftis didn’t know that he was protected by the law, Harris said.
Prosecutors say Loftis was inconsistent in his accounts, saying at one point that he had let the men into his home.
