Sheriff Duane Lewis

05/25/2026

80 Years Ago, Today:

Magistrate Warren Calhoun Guerry
Berkeley County
End of Watch: May 25, 1946

Warren Calhoun Guerry was born on August 23, 1889, in Jamestown to Josh Robert and Elizabeth A. Guerry. He was raised on the family farm in St. James, Santee Township with seven brothers and three sisters.
Around 1918, Calhoun married Miss Mary Bailey. A son, Warren Allen was born on May 12, 1919, and by 1920 Calhoun was working as a Depot Agent for the railroad. By 1930, Calhoun and Mary had added a son, John C. in 1921, a daughter, Evelyn in 1923, and a son, Cecil in 1926. At that time, Calhoun was running a grocery store and Mary was a clerk there. By 1940, Calhoun was farming again and was also a salesman for Watkins Products.

Calhoun continued farming and began serving as a Magistrate for Berkeley County in around 1942.

On May 25, 1946, while acting as a Magistrate in Berkeley County, Calhoun Guerry arrested Charlie T. Smith for cursing and causing a disturbance at a Jamestown store. Smith was searched and placed in the back seat of Magistrate Guerry’s car while a citizen, Luther Altman rode in the front. As Magistrate Guerry drove to the home of Constable Bailey Gamble, Smith pulled a Boy Scout knife from inside his shoe, reached across the seat, and stabbed Magistrate Guerry in the throat. Altman wrestled the knife away from Smith and held him until Constable Gamble arrived a few minutes later. Magistrate Guerry was taken to the Berkeley County Hospital by Woodrow Finklea and Clarence Ackerman, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The knife wound had severed his jugular vein. He was fifty-seven years old.

Smith was taken by Constable Gamble to the Berkeley County Jail, and a short time later was transported to the State Penitentiary for safekeeping.

Funeral services for Magistrate Warren Calhoun Guerry were conducted on Wednesday, May 28th at the Jamestown Methodist Church and he was buried in the Jamestown Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, his three sons, his daughter, his seven brothers, and his three sisters. All three of his sons were serving in the United States Armed Forces, at the time of his death.

Sixty-six-year-old Charlie T. Smith was convicted of the murder of Magistrate Calhoun Guerry on Saturday, October 25th, and was sentenced to be electrocuted on November 29th, by Judge Frank Eatmon. Smith had previously served two years for manslaughter in North Carolina.

On Friday, November 29, 1946, Charlie T. Smith became the oldest person to be electrocuted at the SC State Penitentiary. There was no motion for appeal and Smith spent his last nineteen days on death row. When asked if he wanted to make a statement, Smith replied, “I have nothing to say.” State Electrician Sam Cannon pulled the switch and Penitentiary Physician Dr. M. Whitfield Cheatham pronounced Smith dead moments later. No one claimed his body, so Smith was buried in the prison cemetery.

Berkeley County Magistrate Warren Calhoun Guerry was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1996, never to be forgotten.

Magistrate Guerry’s grandson, Georgetown Deputy Chief of Police C. Spencer Guerry was shot and killed in the line of duty on March 9, 1994.

05/11/2026

Deputy Harvey L. Middleton, Sr.
Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office
End of Watch: May 11, 1975

Harvey L. Middleton was born on August 26, 1945, in St. Stephen to Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Middleton. He grew up with his three brothers and two sisters. He attended St. Stephen Elementary School and graduated from Russellville High School. He also attended Trident Technical Center. He joined the United States Army on June 20, 1966, and served in Vietnam. Following his discharge in 1968, Harvey lived in New York and worked as a security officer at the Federal Reserve.

While living in New York, Harvey met Miss Ella M. Hawkins of Jamestown, S.C. They were married on March 30, 1972, and together they had a daughter and a son. The family moved back to St. Stephen where Harvey served as a Trustee, a member of the male chorus, and an assistant Sunday School Teacher at St. Stephen Baptist Church.

Harvey joined the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office on January 26, 1974, and graduated from the Criminal Justice Academy on March 28, 1975.

On Sunday afternoon, May 11, 1975, Deputy Middleton and St. Stephen Police Chief George R. Grassort went to the home of Wilhmena Edwards to serve a warrant on her son, Herman Edwards. Mrs. Edwards had signed the warrant saying that her son had threatened the lives of his wife and brother. He had also threatened to burn down his mother’s house. A few days before, Edwards had shot and killed several dogs, pigs, and chickens on the farm.
Deputy Middleton had been friends with Herman Edwards for most of his life. When Deputy Middleton tried to arrest Herman Edwards, Edwards resisted. As Edwards broke away, he pulled a pistol from his hip pocket and ran behind the smokehouse in the backyard. Chief Grassort went around to the other side of the building as Deputy Middleton followed Edwards. As the Deputy rounded the corner, Edwards fired at him. The first shot missed, but his second shot struck Deputy Middleton in the abdomen. At the same time, Deputy Middleton fired several shots at Edwards, striking him in the right shoulder. Edwards ran off and escaped. Deputy Middleton died at the scene. He was 30 years old.

Herman Edwards was arrested later and taken to the Medical University Hospital for treatment. He was charged with the murder of Deputy Middleton.

Funeral services for Deputy Harvey L. Middleton were conducted on Saturday, May 17th, at the Saint Stephen Baptist Church, and he was buried in the church cemetery. Active Pallbearers included members of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and Honorary Pallbearers included members of Masonic Lodge No. 315. Deputy Middleton was survived by his wife, his two-year-old daughter, his three-week-old son, his parents, three brothers, two sisters, and his grandparents.

On January 29, 1976, Herman Edwards was convicted of “Voluntary Manslaughter” in the death of Deputy Middleton and was sentenced to 25 years. He was paroled on March 7, 1984. He violated parole and was returned to prison on April 25, 1990.

Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Harvey L. Middleton, Sr. was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1986, never to be forgotten.

04/21/2026

For Immediate Release
April 21, 2026

𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐨. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 $𝟑𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎, 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. - (Tuesday, April 21, 2026) Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis announced the arrest of a man who was charged after a seven month long investigation into the sale of illegal narcotics. Aundreas Martell Johnson, 36, of Resinwood Road in Moncks Corner, was arrested on March 22. Johnson faces charges of Trafficking Co***ne 400 grams or more, Trafficking Methamphetamine 400 grams or more, Trafficking Co***ne Base 10-28 grams, Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime (x12), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (x4), and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.

In September 2025, detectives with the Berkeley County Narcotics Task Force began an investigation after receiving information about illegal narcotic activity. During the investigation, Johnson was identified as a distributor of Methamphetamine and Co***ne in the Moncks Corner area.

Detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on Resinwood Road in Moncks Corner. During the search, investigators located a large-scale drug trafficking operation, including:
• Approximately 2.24 pounds of Co***ne
• Approximately 4.29 pounds of Methamphetamine
• Approximately 27.3 grams of Co***ne Base
• Five fi****ms, with one being reported stolen out of Moncks Corner Police Department’s jurisdiction
• Approximately $230,100 in US Currency
• Drug packaging materials, digital scales, a money counter, and other distribution equipment

Investigators also recovered documents and electronic evidence linking Johnson to narcotics distribution activities, including CashApp transactions associated with drug sales. A financial freeze order later revealed more than $30,000 in a CashApp account linked to narcotics proceeds and approximately $25,900 in additional banking assets.

In total, law enforcement seized approximately $286,714 in cash and financial assets as part of the investigation.

“This investigation demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our narcotics task force to identify, investigate, and dismantle those responsible for flooding our communities with dangerous narcotics,” Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis stated. “This individual was identified as one of Berkeley County’s biggest drug dealers.”

Johnson remains in custody at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center pending further judicial proceedings.























***neCowboyNoMore

04/16/2026

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has been named Agency of the Year for DUI enforcement among large departments in South Carolina, officials announced Wednesday.

04/01/2026

03/07/2026

I had an opportunity this morning to speak at the Berkeley Republican breakfast about all the great work your Deputies are doing in the county.

03/04/2026

🍀🌈 March may be known for shamrocks and good fortune, but there was no luck involved in this investigation. Thanks to community tips and good police work, Berkeley County deputies followed the clues to the end of the rainbow. Instead of a pot of gold, they found drugs, fi****ms, and an arrest.

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𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. - (Wednesday, March 4, 2026) Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis announced the arrest of a Ladson man after community tips led to deputies executing a search warrant on his home. Rodney Mekhi Black, 24, of Erskine Drive in Ladson, faces charges of Trafficking Co***ne, Trafficking Methamphetamine, Failure to Stop for Blue Lights and Sirens, Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance, Possession of Schedule IV Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute Ma*****na, and ten counts of Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime.

In November of 2025, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office received an online tip regarding suspicious activity at a residence on Erskine Drive in Ladson. Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office DEU Agents began an investigation into the tip. Through the investigation, deputies identified Black as being involved in criminal activity.

On February 26, deputies observed Black driving on College Park Road at a high rate of speed. When deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, Black fled from deputies and threw narcotics out of his window. Deputies were able to get Black stopped and took him into custody.

From the traffic stop, deputies recovered:
• Approximately 17.48 grams of Co***ne
• 1 firearm
• 3 bags of Ma*****na

Following the traffic stop, Berkeley County DEU Agents executed a search warrant at Black’s residence. Deputies seized the following:
• Approximately 4.54 pounds of Ma*****na
• Approximately 1.11 pounds of Methamphetamine
• Approximately three dosage units of Alprazolam
• Approximately 24 dosage units of Schedule II tablets
• Four fi****ms
• Approximately $8,047 in US currency

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office thanks the community for providing tips that assist law enforcement in keeping neighborhoods safe. We encourage anyone to report suspicious activity by calling dispatch or reporting online.













***neConfessions

02/10/2026

Magistrate’s Constable Robert Hasell
Berkeley County
End of Watch: February 10, 1893

Robert Hasell was born into slavery in around 1845, on a plantation in Berkeley County owned by Thomas Moritt Hasell, Jr. His mother, Sophy appears to have had four sons, Thomas, Robert, Samuel, and Cato.
Following the devastation of the Civil War, the plantation owners turned to mining the rich calcium phosphate deposits along the Ashley River. These upstart mining companies provided many of the newly freed African Americans with jobs and wages to support their families and boosted the economy of the region. Calcium phosphate mining camps, complete with housing, stores, trams, and wharves were established. The mining settlements were notoriously dangerous areas. The work was hard and dirty, and the mineworkers formed a close community. White officers had little success when dealing with the mine workers, so magistrates often utilized African American “Special Constables”. These “Special Constables” were utilized on an as-needed basis and were probably paid per warrant or arrest.

Robert Hasell worked as a carpenter and also served as one of these “Special Constables” for Trial Justice R.H. Sweeney, of Summerville.

In 1880, Robert was living in Saint Andrews Parish with his wife, Caroline, and their sons, Charles, age 3, and George, age one. They would later have a daughter, Margaret, and a son, Bob.

On February 7, 1893, Trial Justice Sweeney, signed a warrant that charged Jerry Horlbeck with committing “Trespass” on the properties of Magnolia Mines, after being given “Notice”. Horlbeck had previously been run off from the properties and had threatened the life of Mine Superintendent R.B. Cuthbert. On the back cover of the warrant, Justice Sweeney wrote, “I hereby appoint Robert Hasell as a special constable to execute the within process.”

On February 10th, two of Justice Sweeney’s African American Special Constables, Robert Hasell and Joe Brown, along with assistant mine superintendent, F.W. Rivers set out on horseback to find Jerry Horlbeck. The posse searched three houses in a small settlement about three miles from the mines. Not finding Horlbeck, the posse moved to a fourth house. Constable Hasell, armed with a Wi******er rifle, went to the front door as Constable Brown went around to the rear of the house. Rivers stayed mounted in case Horlbeck ran out. Robert Scott met Constable Hasell at the door and when questioned, denied having seen Horlbeck. Constable Hasell pushed open the door and proceeded to walk inside. Upon entering he was confronted by Horlbeck, who was armed with a shotgun. Horlbeck leveled the shotgun and pulled the trigger. The load of buckshot struck Constable Hasell in the chest, dropping him to the floor. He died within minutes. Horlbeck then fired at Constable Brown, striking him in the boot. He fell to the ground, pretending to be dead. Horlbeck then picked up Constable Hasell’s Wi******er and started firing at Rivers, who spurred his horse and galloped away. Horlbeck picked through the dead Constable’s pockets before hastily leaving the scene.

Rivers returned to the mines for assistance. A short time later, Cuthbert got up a posse, and they returned to the house. Constable Brown had remained still and evidently, Horlbeck thought that he was dead also. Robert Scott was arrested by the posse and held at the jail in Summerville.

The posse searched for Horlbeck, but he was not found. Cuthbert offered a reward of $100 for the capture of the murderer. On February 15th, Governor Tillman offered a reward of $150 for the arrest of Jerry Horlbeck.

Jerry Horlbeck was arrested on Hutchinson Island near Savannah, by Detective Bossell on March 24th. Horlbeck agreed to return to Charleston without extradition and returned by train, later that night.

On June 14, 1893, Jerry Horlbeck and Robert Scott were convicted “of slaughtering” Constable Robert Hasell. Horlbeck was sentenced to hang on September 1st and Scott, who received the recommendation of mercy by the jury, was sentenced to “Life”.
The case against Horlbeck was appealed to the State Supreme Court, which affirmed the conviction on January 2, 1894, and remanded the case back to the Circuit Court to assign a new day for the ex*****on.

Early on the morning of March 16, 1894, Jerry Horlbeck attempted to commit su***de by gashing his neck and wrist with a piece of tin. When discovered, he was quickly revived and hanged in the Berkeley County Jail Yard. He died protesting that he had killed Constable Hasell in self-defense.

Berkeley County Magistrate’s Constable Robert Hasell was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame on May 3, 2017, never to be forgotten.

02/04/2026

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Deputies seized over 120 grams of Fentanyl after a vehicle pursuit in Sangaree in late Jan. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of t…

02/04/2026

Chief John Fleetwood Dennis
Bonneau Police Department
End of Watch: February 3, 1957

John Fleetwood Dennis was born in Berkeley County on August 30, 1926, to Richard C. and Lessie Dennis. He grew up on the family farm with his four brothers and two sisters. Fleetwood attended Berkeley High School where he was running back on the football team. He graduated in 1945 and married Evelyn Brinson. By 1946, Fleetwood was serving in the United States Army and stationed in Burbank. California.

Fleetwood served on the Bonneau Police Force and the Moncks Corner Police Force. In January of 1957, Fleetwood left the Moncks Corner Police Department to accept the position of Chief at Bonneau Police Department.

On February 3, 1957, Chief Fleetwood Dennis responded to the report of a car operated in a reckless manner in town. When he arrived, he found the car had hit a highway sign and wrecked into a fence when he arrived. Chief Dennis arrested the occupants, Robert Baxley and Ernest Floyd, both of Lake City, for drunk and reckless driving. After asking local resident, Billy Page, to drive the car back to the Berkeley County Jail, Chief Dennis placed the two men into the back seat of his patrol car to take them to jail. As he turned around to drive towards town, Chief Dennis was shot from behind. Although mortally wounded, Chief Dennis rolled out of the moving car, drew his service revolver, and emptied it into the rear of the car. As the driverless car careened into a nearby ditch, Baxley and Floyd jumped out and ran.
Chief Dennis was transported to a local hospital but died shortly afterward. He was 30 years old.

Ernest Floyd was arrested a short time later, not far from the scene of the shooting. Robert Baxley was arrested in Lake City, about eight hours later when he went to the Police Department to report that his car had been stolen. His brother, Leonard Baxley was with him and was also arrested.

Funeral services for Chief Fleetwood Dennis were conducted on the afternoon of February 5th, at the Bonneau Baptist Church and he was buried in the Baptist Cemetery. Chief Dennis was survived by his wife, Mrs. Evelyn Brinson Dennis; his son, John F. Dennis, Jr.; his three daughters, Elizabeth, Debbie, and Annie; his parents, his four brothers and two sisters.

Stating that the county was controlled by the Dennis family and that his client could not receive a fair trial, Robert Baxley’s attorney, H.E. Yarborough had filed for a change of venue to move the trial outside of Berkeley County. That motion was denied. The murder trial began on May 16, 1957. At the last minute, Robert Baxley changed his plea to guilty, and the 40-year-old farmer was sentenced to life in prison. His brother, Leonard Baxley had been charged with accessory after the fact of murder, and his trial was continued to the next term of court.

Chief John Fleetwood Dennis was inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1986, never to be forgotten.