Bishopville PD reports two senior citizens were murdered, before lone suspect set houses on fire

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —According to Bishopville Police Chief J.D. Dellinger, two victims that were found dead in separate house fires did not die from those fires.

At around 5:45 am on October 9th 2022, Bishopville PD, Lee County Fire Department and EMS were dispatched to a house fire on Harris Street at the home of 72-year-old Iris Croft. Croft was found deceased in her home.

On December 19th at around 9:30am, First Responders were called to another house fire less than one mile away on South Heyward Street. This fire was at the home of 83-year-old Barbara Adams Austin, who was also found deceased in her home.

Chief Dellinger says he requested the assistance of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division after Croft was found. He also says Lee County Coroner Larry Logan determined neither victim died as a result of the fires.

“Investigators received scientific evidence back from the SLED laboratory linking these two crimes. It was classified as criminal acts and that same evidence that came back from the laboratory indicated it was one individual that was involved in both crimes,” says Dellinger.

SLED forensic services linked the DNA of 33-year-old Bishopville resident, Jeremy Dixon to both crime scenes.

Dellinge says Dixon, who was already being held at the Sumter Detention Center since January 6th, for other charges was officially charged with two counts of murder.

According to Dellinger, Dixon has also been charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of burglary first degree, two counts of arson in the second degree, and one count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.

Bishopville PD reports that Dixon also had five other convictions between 2007 and 2016 including burglary and criminal domestic violence.

According to Adams Austin’s obituary, she was a gardening columnist for the Lee County Observer.

No further information on the victims or Dixon’s charges have been given at this time.