Fire victim was murdered according to Coroner Fisher

Oak Grove, SC 07/22/2024 (Paul Kirby) – The man that firefighters found inside his burning house in the Oak Grove area had been stabbed according to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher. She has now ruled it a homicide. The fire occurred in the 200 block of Oak Ridge Lane not far from the County’s Oak Grove Fire Station. The fire happened on Saturday, July 20, 2024.

Coroner Fisher states that the deceased man was Caldwell Melton Motley Jr., 38, of Lexington. He was pronounced dead on scene due to multiple stab wounds. Another individual whom firefighters found in a shed at the residence was transported to an area trauma center with critical injuries.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the State Law Enforcement Arson Team, and the Lexington County Coroner’s Office continue to investigate this incident.