2 Bodies Found Buried On South Carolina Property, Suspects Arrested

Two South Carolina men were arrested and charged with murder Saturday after bodies of two women were found buried on a property in Spartanburg County.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said 39-year-old Jonathan Galligan and 41-year-old Christian Daniel Hurlburt were charged after the bodies of 27-year-old Christin Renee Bunner and 40-year-old Melissa Fairlee Rhymer were found Friday.

The incident came to light after officials were called to a towing service Wednesday concerning a disturbance. There, they found a man who wouldn’t follow their commands and eventually pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head. The man, later identified as Hurlburt, told officials at the hospital that he had helped Galligan bury Brunner at the property after witnessing the murder. Brunner was reported missing December 2018 and officials were told that Galligan was her boyfriend, CBS-affiliated television station WSPA reported.

Officials then went to the property Thursday evening but were unable to find the body. They returned to the hospital to interrogate Hurlburt, who not only repeated the statement but also admitted to killing and burying another woman. He told the officials he did not know the name of the woman.

Police officials reached the property Friday morning with cadaver dogs and found the remains in graves that were 18 inches deep. The second victim was later on identified as Rhymer through her fingerprints.

"The dogs indicated in two areas. We went to those two areas and were able to find human remains. They are of two people,” said Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Galligan was taken into custody Saturday afternoon after being spotted by a convenience store clerk. Hurlburt, on the other hand, was released from hospital and arrested hours after Galligan was taken into custody. Galligan was charged with murder in connection with Bunner's homicide and for being an “accessory after the fact” in Rhymer's murder. Hurlburt was charged with murder in connection with Rhymer's killing, unlawful possession of a pistol and for being “accessory after the fact” for Bunner's murder.

Both the accused were denied bail during a hearing Saturday evening.

"This man took my daughter. She has been missing since December the 16th. Not only did he murder her, but he also tried to bury her,” said Renee Bunner, Bunner's mother, at the hearing.

Officials were investigating the motive behind the killings and said they did not believe any more bodies were buried at the property.