Lexington, SC: Lexington man charged with fatally stabbing his estranged wife

By JOHN MONK, jmonk@thestate.com

A 54-year-old Lexington man will be charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife whose body was found Monday at her home on South Lake Drive near Lexington.
William Russell Constance, 54, of 157 Weaver Drive, Lexington is being detained in Georgetown County by law enforcement. Lexington County deputies are on route with an arrest warrant on murder charges, said Sheriff Jimmy Metts.
The warrant alleges that Constance stabbed Margaret Earline Constance, 52, of 1659 South Lake Drive, Lot C., about 25 times at her home.

Murder suspect William Russell Constance
- Lexington County Sheriff's Dept.
Detectives have recovered the knife used to kill her.
The motive remains under investigation, Metts said in a press release.
At the time he was taken into custody by Georgetown city police, William Constance was driving his estranged wife’s 2002 Buick sedan, Metts said.
Law officials had broadcast a national alert to be on the lookout for her car after her body was found Monday night.
Shortly after noon Tuesday, a city of Georgetown police officer who checked the Buick’s license tag took Constance into custody.
Deputies discovered the body Monday night after the victim’s sister called the sheriff’s department and asked them to go by. The sister had been unable to reach the dead woman.
Detectives arriving at the house shortly before 8 p.m. found the doors locked. The landlord used a key to let the deputies in. She was found on the floor in the master bedroom.
Corner Harry Harman said an autopsy showed that Constance was killed sometime on Sunday. He has ruled the death a homicide.
Reach Monk at 803-771-8344.