Free To Die: South Carolina Woman Shoots Escaped Prison Inmate In Head Who Broke Into Her Home

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Woman Kills Escaped Prison Inmate Who Broke Into Her House

A couple of inmates decided to flee a South Carolina prison this week, one was recaptured and the other was killed by a startled woman in her nightgown.

According to a Daily News report, two men, Bruce McLaughlin Jr. and Timothy Cleveland Dill, beat up two guards at the Pickens County Prison and then escaped around 2:40 a.m., Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark said at a press conference. Dill was caught about 25 minutes later but McLaughlin evaded authorities and kicked in the rear door of a local home, eventually meeting his maker.

Source: (Pickens County Sheriff’s Office) / (Pickens County Sheriff’s Office)

The woman, who has not been identified, was home alone and said McLaughlin stole a foot-long knife-sharpening tool from her kitchen, then headed to her bedroom. She responded by shooting him in the head, Clark said.

“This was a big guy. If she hadn’t had a weapon, there’s no telling what would have happened,” he said at the press conference. “I gave her a big hug. I told her how proud I was of her.” Clark said that the woman had a concealed weapons permit and called it a “shining example” of the importance of gun ownership.

“She came out on the good on this end and the other guy, the bad guy, didn’t,” he said. McLaughlin was awaiting trial for first-degree burglary and grand larceny, while Dill had been charged with criminal sexual conduct.