Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Florence, SC: Husband of slain woman charged in Florence double killing

FLORENCE, SC --
Florence County sheriff’s deputies have arrested the husband of a slain woman in connection with Saturday’s double homicide.

Hiralkumar Gopaldas, 33, of 701 Coventry Lane, Florence, is charged with two counts of murder in the slaying of his wife, Punam Gopaldas, 30, and his mother-in-law, Vinaben Patel, 56, at 3119 Nicklaus Court in the Country Club of South Carolina, according to a sheriff’s office press release issued at 6:25 p.m. Tuesday. His booking card at the Florence County Detention lists his address as Microtel Inn & Suites at 1912 Enterprise Drive, Florence, near the Interstate 95/U.S. 52 intersection.

The release didn’t say when or where the suspect was arrested.

Florence County Coroner M.G. “Bubba” Matthews said both women were stabbed to death, confirming the information in the sheriff’s office release, with the younger woman suffering more wounds than her mother.

It’s not clear whether the weapon used in the crime has been identified or recovered.

Matthews said the women’s bodies were sent to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston for autopsies, which revealed they had been dead in the home at least seven hours before they were found.

Sheriff’s Capt. Brett Camp said Monday the sheriff’s office received a phone call between 10:30 and 10:40 p.m. Saturday from an out-of-state relative who requested a welfare check after she was unable to get in touch with her relative.

Deputies arrived on the scene and realized the front door was unlocked. That’s when they entered the home and discovered the two bodies.

A child who was at the residence was not injured but was taken to an area hospital as a precaution and is with a family friend at a secure location, Camp said.

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s Capt. Mike Nunn said the child was delivered to Social Services and placed with a family relative.

“I want to give credit to our deputies and investigators who have worked around the clock to solve these horrible crimes,” Sheriff Kenney Boone said in the release. “Hopefully this neighborhood can rest a little easier in light of the arrest.”

Mary Pool, Marion County School of Practical Nursing coordinator, said Punam Gopaldas was a 2006 graduate. McLeod Regional Medical Center Administrator Marie Segars said Punam Gopaldas served McLeod patients for more than five years.

Investigators have not indicated a motive for the crime. Attempts to reach Camp, Nunn and Boone were unsuccessful by press time Tuesday.

Gopaldas likely will appear before a Florence County magistrate Wednesday for an initial appearance, according to the release. A circuit court judge must set bond, if any, for his release and will hear any issues related to bond pending trial.

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