(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------A Fair Play man remains in jail today, on a combined $110,000 surety bond, after his arrest yesterday on two outstanding arrest warrants on charges of Attempted Murder and Possession of a Weapon during Commission of a Violent Crime.
41 year old Timothy Chad Merck, of W. Pine Grove Road, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 4:55pm. Merck was arrested Tuesday afternoon near W. Pine Grove Road and McKee Drive, which is between Fair Play and Townville, by Deputies from the Uniform Patrol Bureau.
The charges against Merck stemmed from an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of September 18th of this year on Durham Road near Fair Play. After arriving on scene in regards to reports of a stabbing, Deputies located an adult male who had a severe laceration to his left forearm.
A Deputy applied a tourniquet to the victim’s arm and continued an investigation into the incident. The victim was transported by paramedics to the hospital for further treatment of his injury. The suspect, identified as Timothy Chad Merck, had left the scene before Deputies arrived.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office was contacted in a mutual aid capacity in the search for Merck. Also responding to the scene, in a mutual aid capacity, were a K-9 handler and his K-9 Officer from the Walhalla Police Department to assist in the search for Merck. However, Merck was not located.
The investigation was turned over to a Violent Crimes Investigator from the Criminal Investigations Bureau. Based on evidence that was obtained during the investigation, it was determined that Merck had struck the victim with a machete, during the commission of a violent crime, and made threats to kill the victim, according to arrest warrants.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation. Due to the nature of the crime, and for safety and health privacy concerns, the Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing the name of the victim in this case or the condition of the victim.
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Walhalla Police Department for their assistance and help in our investigation.