SC sheriff wants murder charges in deaths of 2 boys found in car in river; autopsies set

SC sheriff wants murder charge in boys’ deaths

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A South Carolina sheriff said Tuesday he hoped a judge will approve murder charges against a woman whose children were found dead in a car in a river.

Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams told CBS’ “Early Show” that investigators were ready to present their case to a judge in hopes of getting murder charges against 29-year-old Shaquan Duley.

Duley was arrested Monday and was being held on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after her two sons were found dead in a vehicle in the North Edisto River, still strapped into their car seats.

Williams said there were questions about the mother’s statement she was involved in a wreck and could not get the children out of the car.

“For someone who had just plunged into the Edisto River here, of course, and had two children in the car, her clothing wasn’t damp,” Williams said of Duley’s initial report.

The sheriff also noted that Duley walked some distance from the car to find help when there were nearby houses.

Autopsies were planned Tuesday on the bodies of 2-year-old Devean C. Duley and 18-month-old Ja’van T. Duley to determine how they died.

Neither Williams nor Coroner Samuetta Marshall returned telephone calls early Tuesday from The Associated Press.

Williams planned a news conference for 10 a.m. to discuss more details of the case.

In 1994, the state saw another case in which two sons were found dead in their car. Susan Smith left her 3-year-old and 14-month-old sons strapped in their car seats as she rolled her car into a lake in Union County in the northwest part of the state. She was convicted in their deaths and is serving a life prison term.