Sumter mother accused of intimidating witness in son’s murder case
SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) – A Sumter mother is accused of intimidating a witness in her son’s murder case, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say on October 11, Tanikka Carnetta Graves of Wedgefield, was charged with Intimidation of court officials, jurors or witnesses.
A warrant states that on October 7, Tanikka Graves, mother of Armonie Freeman, who was on trial for two murder charges from a September 2019 shooting incident, did intentionally contact and intimidate a specific witness in her son’s trial. According to investigators, Graves purposely utilized her son’s social media account pretending to be her son and sent a threat to that specific witness that they should not testify in the trial that began on October 10th.
This action caused great fear and intimidation influencing that witness to not want to testify for fear of harm, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. An intimidation of court officials, jurors or witnesses charge or actions that impede or obstruct the administration of justice in any court carries a sentence of up to $10,000 and not more than ten years, or both.
“No one should feel threatened when there’s an opportunity to do the right thing. When incidents like this occur, we want citizens to come forward so that persons can be held accountable for interfering with the judicial system, ” says Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis.
