Fired Columbia officer says she is a scapegoat

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A high-ranking Columbia police officer fired for her handling of the investigation of a missing lobbyist that turned out to be a suicide says she was made a scapegoat for the botched investigation and unjustly fired.

Isa Greene told reporters Tuesday that she was on vacation during the first two days South Carolina Hospitality Association Director Tom Sponseller was missing. She says critical clues that could have helped find him quicker were missed, including searching Sponseller’s desk where a suicide note was found.

The suicide note eventually led to finding Sponseller’s body in a locked room in his office’s parking garage 10 days after he went missing.

Columbia Police Chief Randy Scott said Tuesday he fired Greene because she told him twice that all of Sponseller’s building had been searched.