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Kidnapped woman recovering; three charged in shooting, kidnapping

By Ian Silver  bio | email | Twitter

HAMPTON COUNTY, SC (WCSC) - Three Colleton County men were arrested Tuesday in connection with the kidnapping and shooting of a 78-year-old woman.

Stevie Lamont Aiken, 30, and Nathaniel Harris, 48, were charged with burglary first, kidnapping, assault and battery with intent to kill, grand larceny, felon in possession of a weapon and armed robbery. Aiken's brother, Derrick, was charged with accessory before and after the fact.

78-year-old Margaret Gooding was found alive in the trunk of her own car in the parking lot of a Walterboro bank around 4pm Monday. She is recovering at MUSC and is listed in stable condition, according to a release from the Hampton County Sheriff's Office.

During a press conference, the sheriff's office told reporters the suspects were trying to rob Gooding, and had thrown a brick through her window to get into her home on Old Salkehatchie Road in Miley. Gooding fired her gun at the suspects, but missed, and one of the suspects shot her in the stomach, according to the sheriff's office.

One of the suspects tried to cash one of Gooding's checks at a Walterboro bank around 2pm Monday, said sheriff's office spokesman Shellie Murdaugh.

Around 4pm Monday, someone called 911 to report a car had been sitting in the same spot for several hours. Gooding credits that person with saving her life.

"I didn't think much of it until I started to leave the office around 3 o'clock," said Harold Groves. "I said I need to stop and check this car out before I go any further."

So he called 911.

"She says 'don't touch nothing, just back away from that car.' So I was figuring maybe this is the car they was lookin' for," said Groves. "I was hearing somebody talking when I was talking to 911. I was looking around to see who was talking. And I couldn't find anybody."

Within minutes police surrounded the car.

"One of the officers said she's in the trunk," said Groves. "And so they opened the trunk and there she was. She was alive."

Gooding was flown by helicopter to MUSC.

"It's very surprising that someone would put her in the trunk of a vehicle and haul her off for whatever reason, I don't know," Drawdy said. If it was just a burglary it seems like they would try and get her money and leave. So that's what's very perplexing."

"I just stood back and watched them cause it made me feel bad I didn't check it out this morning," Groves said. "And her being in the back of that car, you know, shot, I didn't... from now on I will call the law when I see a car back here. Thank the Lord she's alive."

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