AIKEN, SC (WFXG) -
It has nearly been nearly a year since
two Aiken police officers were gunned down; residents still remember how the
tragedy shook the community.
"It was shocking; it was awful,
it was unbelievable," said Aiken resident Susan Cain.
"I became physically sick to my
stomach, it's just so heartbreaking," Kathi Hallman, said.
Investigators say Officer Scotty
Richardson was shot and killed by Stephon Carter at a traffic stop last
December.
Officer Sandra Rodgers was shot and
killed about a month later; investigators say Joshua Jones pulled the trigger
on her and his pregnant girlfriend that day.
"It didn't really break up the
community, but it broke up the hearts of everybody in the community," said
Hallman.
Within the past week prosecutors have filed three new
charges against Joshua Jones and the Aiken County Solicitor's Office announced
it is seeking the death penalty against Stephon Carter.
In addition to murder charges, Jones
is now facing charges of weapons possession, larceny and failure to stop for
blue lights.
Residents Fox54 spoke with expect the
murder suspects to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
"I think he should be behind bars
for as long as it takes or even suffer the death penalty," said Cain.
"I hope the men that are
responsible will get the ultimate penalty. They should just get the worst penalty
there is for what they did," Hallman, said.
Kathi Hallman says the community won't
begin to heal until, "justice is done, for whatever is going to happen for these
men to go ahead and happen quickly and put it behind us and move forward."
"I don't think anybody will ever really forget, but
I think it will probably help," said Cain.
Jones is also facing charges for his behavior while he's
been in the Aiken County Jail; he is accused of assaulting several officers.
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