Aiken, SC: Friends and family speak out about Aiken strangling victim

New information about an investigation in Aiken where an argument turned deadly. Family and friends say she died at the hands of her high school sweetheart.
Posted: 12:11 AM Jul 25, 2011
Reporter: Cleo Greene
July 22, 2011

AIKEN, S.C-- New information about an investigation in Aiken where an argument turned deadly.

30-year-old James Gray is charged with the murder of Helen Magee after deputies say he strangled her early Saturday morning.
Family and friends say she died at the hands of her high school sweetheart.

Helen had separated from her husband and then started dating James Gray. The family thinks they might know what sparked the fight.

Helen's mother-in-law, Joann Riley says, "Helen was one of a kind. I loved her to death. She would do anything for anybody and she loved all three of her kids."

Joann Riley says Helen Magee was like her own child. Helen married her son, Philip, 10 years ago. The couple then separated and Helen moved out of their home. That's when Riley says Helen started living at her Barton Brothers Lane home.

It was Riley's son that told her news.

Riley says, "He told me Helen had been murdered. That she had died. She had been strangled and it was the man that she had been seeing."

That man is 30-year-old James Gray. Aiken County deputies say Gray and Helen had a verbal fight in her front yard and that's when he strangled her. The only witnesses--her three young children.

Riley says, "Today(Sunday) is her oldest daughter's birthday and for them to have been there is really nerve-wracking and it will be a long time if ever to get over that."

Friends say they offered advice to Helen when she started to date Gray.

Roseanne Bush says, "They knew each other for a long time, and they dated for awhile."

Bush was also a close friend of Helen's. She says Gray was Helen's high school sweetheart.

Bush says, "You can't force people to do what you want them do to so all I did was pray for her."

Meanwhile, Helen's mother-in-law, Joann Riley, is trying to piece together clues. She says her son and Helen had plans to work things out and that could have fueled Gray's rage.

Riley says, "They were here just a few weeks ago talking about getting back together and ironing out there problems and everything."

It was one of her children, an 8 year old, who called 911.

News 12 tried to get a hold of the tape, but deputies say it's now a key piece of evidence in this case. They also say the recorded altercation is grueling, but in due time it will answer many questions that family wants answered.