Thursday, April 15, 2010

Conway, SC: Neighbors react to killing of Conway woman

By AISHA KHAN | WBTW Reporter
Published: April 14, 2010
Updated: April 15, 2010

CONWAY-Conway and Horry County Police are investigating the death of Phyllis Monarch 49 of Conway. Police charged her husband Daniel Monarch 53 with murder in connection with his wife’s death Wednesday.
Officers were called to a house at 128 Creel Street in reference to a missing person around 9am.
“We actually received a phone call from her employer that she had been not at work and that it’s not like her to be at work,” said Conway Police Department spokesperson Catina Hipp, “We responded to her residence and spoke with her husband who said that the last time he saw her was around 7:45 this morning to go jogging, and that he had not seen her since.”
Hipp said police then called in Horry County Crime Scene and Bloodhound Tracking Team to assist them with the search.
At around 1:30pm the bloodhound team found Phyllis Monarch’s body off of New Road which is the cross street from the Monarchs’ home on Creel Street, Hipp said.
Hipp said police took in Daniel Monarch for questioning and formally charged him with murder in connection with his wife’s death.
“It was a normal habit for them to jog every morning so this was just her normal morning routine,” said Hipp.
Michelle Calhoun who lives across the street from the couple said she was in disbelief that her neighbor would ever try to harm his wife.
“It is a shock it’s more of shock because they are an extremely nice couple, and we’ve seen them in the yard a lot and it didn’t seem like they would have any issues,“ said Calhoun.
Calhoun said the husband and wife who were avid runners usually ran with several other residents in the neighborhood along New Road where investigators found Phyllis Monarch’s body.
“Very active, jogging quite often, out and about walking we’d see them quite often—-seemed to me to be very giving,“ Calhoun said.
Calhoun said she spoke to Daniel Wednesday morning and said he genuinely seemed worried about his missing wife.
“He just seemed really eager to find his wife,” she said, “He did seem a little frazzled and just felt like everyone wasn’t doing enough to find her.”
“She’s gone, it’s just so heart breaking, it’s really heart breaking to deal with it in our community.“
Investigators aren’t saying how they think Phyllis Monarch died as the case is still under investigation.
Horry County Coroner Robert Edge said an autopsy is set for Thursday morning.
Dan Monarch is held without bond at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Conway. Count on continued coverage on News 13 and online at SCnow.com.

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