Prosperity resident Susie Coleman said she was walking for exercise in Prosperity on Friday night when she was accosted.
Around 8:45 p.m. she allegedly was grabbed from behind by Elbert Epps, 23, of Langford Street, Prosperity. She said Epps told her not to yell or he would kill her then and to move to the dead end of the street she was on.
Through tears, Coleman said she knew if she went to the dead end, she would be raped and killed.
“I was looking death in the face. He was going to kill me,“ she said, adding she decided she would rather die fighting than for her family to know she had been raped and killed.
Coleman saw a car coming towards her and was told by Epps that he had a gun and would kill her if she flagged down the motorist.
Coleman jumped in front of the car to get help but the driver kept going. Coleman said she began to beat on the car.
The driver thinking this could be a car-jacking did not want to stop, but finally did. The female driver cracked her window and Coleman told her she needed help. She was driven to the Prosperity Police Department.
For the next three hours, Coleman says she was held by the Prosperity police.
“I felt I was tortured while I was held and I question if (Prosperity police) are equipped,“ she said.
Coleman said her attacker had a brown bag with a bottle in it. Knowing that Bowers BP is the only store in town open at that time of night, she begged the police to get the store's video to held identify the attacker.
“This was not done until several hours later,“ she said.
“Why did it take two hours to get the video?“ questioned Councilman Chad Hawkins.
Knowing the attacker was still on the street and could try to hurt another woman, after she was finally released she, family members and friends began to patrol the streets looking for the suspect.
Coleman told Prosperity Town Council that it felt like no one was trying to get the attacker off the street.
For the entire weekend, Coleman knew Epps was “still walking the streets.“
“I contacted (Sheriff) Lee Foster and two hours later he was locked up,“ said Coleman.
“We were pleased to be able to provide assistance to the victim in this case. The victim was obviously traumatized by this incident, and it is our hope that the arrest of the perpetrator will help to bring closure and security to the victim and the community," said Foster.
Prosperity Police Chief Craig Nelson said that the small town police department is not capable of doing a line-up and that with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division evidence lab closed that there was nothing more that could be done until Monday.
Nelson added he didn't want the case to have holes it in and for the suspect to “pay the price“ at a trial. He added that there needed to be concrete evidence before an arrest was made. He also added that the department is not equipped to handle such cases and does not have the manpower to do so. He also noted that Sheriff's deputies were called in to help investigate the case.
But Coleman said she felt as if no one had the time to investigate the case Friday night.
“They told me they were busy and had other calls,“ said Coleman.
She added that she was given information about victim advocate services and when she contacted them on Monday, she was told they should have been called in to assist her Friday.
She added that she was also told by police that the assaliant was “not from around here.“
Epps was arrested on Monday on charges of kidnapping and assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct. He is being held at the Newberry County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.
Coleman says she wants to take steps to help others not to become victims and to help get the Prosperity police better equipped to handle situations.
Mayor Larry Spotts said the department has had a number of recent personnel changes and are still training.
Hawkins was asked if the town had enough officers and was told the current staff of three officers was not enough.
“We have the Sheriff's Office to fall back on. Why is the dime being dropped on us,“ asked Town Attorney Henry Bufkin.
Councilman Allen Gallman added that his wife has also been approached while walking.
The town has agreed to look into offering self-defense classes to the local residents, but adds that many of its crime watch seminars have been poorly attended by residents.
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