2nd man arrested in Johns Island murder

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - A St. Helena Island man was arrested in Pennsylvania on Wednesday in connection to a January murder on Johns Island, Charleston County authorities confirmed.

Travis Robert Burton, 24, is expected to be extradited to Charleston County to face a murder charge and a possession of a firearm in a violent crime charge, according to the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded just before 1 p.m. on Jan. 14 to the 2500 block of Gibbs Rd.

Investigators arrived and found a man in the backyard, who was pronounced dead. However, they noticed “obvious” signs of trauma. The coroner’s office identified the victim as 65-year-old Jarnaro Carlos Middleton of Johns Island.

Almost a month later, the sheriff’s office announced they had arrested a man in connection to the incident. Deandre Jermol Major, 26, was charged with one count of murder.

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Through a statement from the co-defendant, deputies learned that Burton was traveling with him in a vehicle from Beaufort to Gibbs Road, according to the arrest affidavit.

Burton was seen with a handgun and a rifle when he met with the victim, and they both walked behind a structure; then Burton alone returned with two additional phones, the arrest documents state.

Both Burton and Major then drove back to Beaufort, deputies say.

A booking photo for Burton has not yet been released.

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