Convicted felon’s mother also sent to prison for being an accessory
BEAUFORT, SC (Dec. 16, 2016) – A Burton man who murdered two people will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Charles Thomas Brown, 29, pleaded guilty Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, to two-counts of murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a violent crime. He was sentenced to serve two life sentences in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
“He is not eligible for parole and will die in prison,” said the case’s prosecutor, Deputy Solicitor Sean Thornton. “The victims’ families wanted to make sure the person who was responsible for killing Titus Singleton and Katherine Collier would spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Brown also waived all rights to any future appeals.
Brown killed 28-year-old Singleton in December 2015 at Brown’s Toro Lane home in Burton. Singleton’s decapitated and burned body was later found inside his Dodge Charger in Yemassee.
Following Singleton’s death, about 9 or 10 days later, Brown shot his then 25-year-old girlfriend, Collier, in the shoulder. When she requested to be taken to the hospital, Brown shot her in the head, killing her. Thornton said Brown didn’t want Collier to say anything to authorities about Singleton’s death. Collier knew about the first murder. Authorities found Collier’s body in January 2016, buried in a shallow grave on Brown’s property.
After Brown shot and killed Collier, he called his brother, Olin Wade Brown and their mother, Nancy Kennedy, for help with burying the body. Olin Brown and Kennedy drove from North Carolina to help. Kennedy also assisted her son, Charles Brown, with disposing of Singleton’s body.
Kennedy, 56, also pleaded guilty Thursday to accessory after the fact to murder. Kennedy was sentenced to serve a 15-year sentence, suspended to three years, followed by 5 years of probation.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen retained jurisdiction over Kennedy’s case; meaning, if Kennedy should ever violate her probation, Mullen has the option of returning Kennedy to prison for 15 years.
Olin Brown is already in prison. He pleaded guilty in October to accessory after the fact to murder. He was sentenced to 13 ½ years.
