A 37-year-old man is facing a felony charge after his girlfriend was found dead inside a South Carolina home under disturbing circumstances, with investigators uncovering allegations of prior abuse as they examined his account of what happened.
Bradley Thompson, of North Carolina, initially told police that his girlfriend had taken her own life with his crossbow following an argument. But after a weeks-long investigation, authorities charged him with assisting a person in committing suicide.
The investigation began around 7:45 p.m. on October 9, when deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported suicide at a home on Willow Creek Boulevard in Lugoff, approximately 30 miles northeast of Columbia.
When officers arrived, they discovered a woman dead from a crossbow injury to the head. Thompson was at the scene and told investigators that she had inflicted the fatal wound herself.
According to an incident report obtained by WIS-TV, Thompson claimed the couple had been preparing to go hunting with his crossbow when an argument erupted.
He told deputies that he left the weapon loaded in their bedroom before walking into the living room. Moments later, he allegedly heard the crossbow discharge.
Thompson claimed he rushed back into the bedroom and discovered his girlfriend gravely wounded.
Investigators subsequently confirmed that the crossbow belonged to him, but questions surrounding the woman’s death prompted authorities to examine the circumstances more closely.
As detectives worked to piece together what happened, they interviewed the woman’s relatives and uncovered additional troubling allegations.
A family member told investigators that Thompson had a history of physically abusing both his girlfriend and her child. Those accusations have not been independently established in court.
The investigation involved the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Kershaw County Coroner’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
After reviewing the evidence, investigators presented their findings to the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which authorized a charge of assisting a person in committing suicide.
Thompson surrendered to authorities on October 31 and was booked into the Kershaw County Detention Center.
He was subsequently released on bond. Local reports have cited differing bond amounts, with some listing $40,000 and others reporting $47,500.
Court records also show that Thompson faces separate charges of cruelty to children and tattooing a minor. Those charges were filed around the same time as the case involving his girlfriend’s death, although authorities have not confirmed whether they are connected.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Thompson has not been charged with murder. His current felony charge concerns allegedly assisting another person in taking their own life.
Under South Carolina law, assisting a person in committing suicide is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
Authorities have not publicly explained what specific evidence led prosecutors to conclude that Thompson may have assisted in the woman’s death. They also have not disclosed her identity in the available reports.
The distinction is significant because Thompson’s account places him in another room when the crossbow discharged, while the criminal charge alleges a degree of involvement that investigators have not yet publicly detailed.
It remains unclear whether additional charges could follow or when Thompson will next appear in court.
For now, the woman’s death remains at the center of a troubling investigation involving a disputed account of a fatal incident, allegations of domestic abuse and unanswered questions about what happened inside the home that October evening.
Thompson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
