Shotgun blasts kill two intruders
ROBERT W. DALTON, Staff Writer
Published August 31, 2006
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LYMAN -- A home invasion early Wednesday morning ended with two of the intruders dead and a third in custody after one of the residents opened fire with a shotgun.
Travis Earle Anderson, 22, and his brother, Marshall Lashaun Anderson, 28, both of Spartanburg, died after William Rodney Thomas shot them after they broke into the house at 76 Lawrence St. and attacked his roommate, Lee Timothy Freeman.
A Lyman police officer responding to a call at about 2:40 Wednesday morning found Marshall Anderson lying on top of his brother at the bottom of the deck steps at the rear of the home. Travis Anderson died at the scene, while Marshall Anderson died at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Lyman Police Chief Scott Suttles said.
Spartanburg County Coroner's Investigator Mike Shaw said that Travis Anderson died of a shotgun blast to the chest. Marshall Anderson was shot in the right arm and bled to death, Shaw said.
Travis Anderson was a talented receiver on the Byrnes High School football team and was named to the North-South all-star game following his senior season in 2001. He signed with Gardner-Webb University.
Police arrested a third man, 21-year-old Nicholas Vandale Oglesby of 1051 Nazareth Road as he tried to drive away. He was charged with assault with intent to kill, aggravated assault and battery and burglary and was awaiting a bond hearing Wednesday night at the Spartanburg County jail.
Oglesby was awaiting trial in Greenville County on criminal domestic violence and second-degree burglary charges, according to his arrest record.
The Anderson brothers and Oglesby were armed with handguns, according to a police report. After they broke into the house, one of the Andersons whipped the 21-year-old Freeman with a pistol, opening a severe cut on his forehead, the report stated.
Thomas, also 21, was in his bedroom and grabbed his shotgun when he heard the commotion, Suttles said. When Travis Anderson opened the bedroom door, Thomas fired the shot that hit him in the chest and then closed the door.
Marshall Anderson then came through the door, and Thomas shot him, Suttles said.
Oglesby fired a shot at Thomas before fleeing, according to a police report. It is unclear whether Thomas returned fire at Oglesby.
Suttles said he didn't know whether Thomas and Freeman knew the suspects.
"We're still investigating that. There are several unanswered questions," Suttles said.
Thomas and Freeman were unavailable for comment.
Suttles said Thomas will not be charged because he killed the Andersons while defending his home.
The violent start to the day stunned area residents, who said the neighborhood is a peaceful one.
"I've been here 34 years, and there's never been anything like this," said Donny Woodward, who lives at 72 Lawrence St. "It's really eye-opening, like a bad storm. You think it will never happen to us, and then it does."
Woodward said that Thomas and Freeman have lived two doors down from him for less than a year. He said that they usually kept to themselves.
Jennifer Anders, who lives next door, said that she's a light sleeper but that she didn't hear the gunshots. She said that Thomas and Freeman often borrowed tools from her husband and were always willing to help out with a project.
She said that Thomas once asked her for a cooking lesson.
"He came over one night to ask how to make broccoli and cheese," she said. "He was cooking dinner for his mom and he wanted to get it right."
Anders said she didn't see Thomas after the shooting, but that she was concerned about how he would cope.
Daniel Morgan Jr., who lives about half a block away, said he doesn't believe the attack was a random one.
"I've lived here four years and there's been no trouble," Morgan said. "They've been here six or eight months and this happens? This is not a freak thing; it happened for a reason."
Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or [email protected].
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