Northeast
South Carolina community rocked by wealthy family's deaths in stately home
South Carolina authorities on Friday morning made a grisly discovery inside a family’s stately Greer home.
The Spartanburg Sheriff’s Office responded to the home on Marilyn Perry Lane after receiving a call from a neighbor.
“Upon arrival, there was an initial language barrier, but once that was addressed, deputies entered the residence and discovered three deceased individuals inside the home,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release. “At this initial stage, this agency doesn’t feel like there is any threat to the public.”
The local coroner’s office confirmed the identities of the three deceased individuals to FOX Carolina as 9-year-old Samantha Samarel, 45-year-old Lina Maria Samarel and 54-year-old Richard Samarel.
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The Spartanburg coroner’s office confirmed the identities of the three deceased individuals to FOX Carolina as 9-year-old Samantha Samarel, 45-year-old Lina Maria Samarel and 54-year-old Richard Samarel. (Facebook)
The sheriff’s office said other children who lived in the home were at school when the three family members died, adding that the “agency would sincerely appreciate some compassion in media coverage and social media comments.”
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The Samarels lived in a stately home in Greer, South Carolina. (Google Maps)
“Rather than [piecemeal] answers to follow-up questions from individual media outlets, more detail will be provided in a subsequent release,” the sheriff’s office said.
Richard Samarel’s Facebook page states that the family is originally from New Jersey, and he previously worked as a manager for Bloomberg LP. Lina Samarel is originally from Colombia and worked as a therapist.
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Lina and Richard Samarel had three children, one of whom was found dead along with the couple on Friday. (Facebook)
The couple has three children.
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Lina Samarel’s professional biography states that she is “a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and a family nurse practitioner” who is “experienced in a variety of healthcare settings, including outpatient psychiatry for adults and adolescents with mental illness and health and wellness services.” Her Facebook profile said she previously worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Richard Samarel’s Facebook page states that the family is originally from New Jersey. (Facebook)
“During her free time, Lina enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. Lina also enjoys reading and learning about new and relevant issues in Psychiatry and mental health,” her profile on GrowTherapy.com states.
The coroner’s office and sheriff’s office are investigating the case.
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UNION, New Jersey (WABC) — A 20-year-old man is charged with the deadly mass shooting that caused chaos at a Chick-fil-A in New Jersey.
Jaheed Fields of Newark is facing several charges including murder and attempted murder.
On April 11, Fields opened fire inside the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union. A 23-year-old man was killed and six others were hurt. Customers inside the restaurant went scrambling for the exits.
So far, no motive for the shooting has been revealed.
Witnesses say they heard at least seven shots piercing into the crowd.
Longtime customers said they were shaken by the violence.
“That’s what’s terrifying, being a father or a parent, you have to always be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel and make sure that you’re paying attention to your surroundings and try to avoid getting yourself into a situation and unfortunately coming to a Chick-fil-A at dinner time is apparently a situation you may have to avoid now a days,” customer Christopher Devido said.
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Pennsylvania
Could a gas tax holiday be imposed in Pennsylvania as prices at the pump continue to rise?
PENNSYLVANIA (WJAC) — Discussion continues about potentially suspending the Pennsylvania gas tax, one of the highest state gas taxes in the country, as prices at the pump continue to jump.
Lawmakers in both chambers are considering a gas tax holiday that would remove Pennsylvania’s gas tax for a limited period. The Senate proposal would last 60 days, while the House version would run for six months. Supporters say the move would provide needed help for people across the state, while opponents argue it is not sustainable.
The proposals would save drivers about 57 cents per gallon on gasoline and about 75 cents per gallon on diesel from the state gas tax.
Representatives of the Democratic senator Lisa Boscola, who proposed the Senate bill and is from the Lehigh area, said they will continue pushing the measure they believe is needed by families around the state and are optimistic it will pass.
In the House, the effort is mostly being pushed by Republicans, though local Republican Rep. Jim Rigby said he does not support it because it is “not a real solution.”
Democratic Rep. Paul Takac agrees, saying state police and PennDOT road work are funded through the gas tax, and that suspending it would essentially defund both, and they would have to find money to fill those voids. Takac added that he has not heard any serious intention to move the bill forward.
Democratic Rep. Frank Burns said he believes that if the proposal came to a vote, a gas tax holiday would pass with bipartisan support and would provide at least a small break to struggling families.
The debate continues as gas prices continue rising, with another jump in the last week.
Chief economist Gbenga Ajilore of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says prices are unlikely to fall soon.
“It seems like gas prices are going to go up, and even if there’s some sort of resolution in say the next couple weeks, it’s going to be difficult to see prices go down anytime soon,” Ajilore said.
The Senate is back in session on Monday and for the next few days after that, but not again until June. If the gas tax holiday is going to move forward anytime soon, that is when it would likely happen.
In the House, the proposal would need to clear the Democratic-led Transportation Committee before it could go to a vote.
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