Ex-Mayor of McColl made a threat of self-harm and against his wife prior to colliding with a semi-trailer truck.
In a shocking turn of events, the investigation into McColl Mayor George Garner II, who tragically passed away in a car accident, was underway due to allegations of theft and abuse of position.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) had been investigating Garner, who was 49 years old, following claims made by town Councilman Harry Benjamin. The investigation was initiated due to Benjamin's allegations that Garner had unaccounted for approximately $800,000 in COVID relief funds and had hired his wife, April, to clean the town hall building weekly without the council's approval.
On Nov. 25, 2024, just one day before his death, Garner texted an investigating agent a photo of a receipt for $500 he paid to the Town of McColl for scrap metal, along with the message, "I paid this to the town for scrap. I'm truly sorry for the decision I made."
Two weeks prior, Garner allegedly authorized a town employee to sell scrap metal from a town-owned building. A text message between the employee and Garner suggested that he had given the authorisation, with the employee asking, "You remember telling me (I) can get some scrap metal out of the old mill(?) (J)ust making sure it is still ok." Garner replied, "Yes. That's between us. Harry (Benjamin) and them don't need to know. Give me some $."
The employee made $490 from the metal sales, and Benjamin also claimed that Garner had been using a town credit card for personal use. However, town employee McLain denied these claims, stating that Garner did not have access to the town's bank accounts.
In the report, Benjamin maintained that payments made to April were under contract, which first needed to be approved by the council, but weren't. McLain, on the other hand, stated that April was only paid for the time she worked.
Regrettably, the investigation was cut short when George Garner II drove his vehicle into a semi-truck on S.C. 34 in Mechanicsville on Nov. 26, 2024, at approximately 2:40 p.m.
Attempts to reach April Garner for comment were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon. The details of the investigation and its findings remain unclear as the investigation was not able to be completed.
The investigation into McColl Mayor George Garner II, whose sudden death halted the process, involved allegations that extended beyond his car accident, including politics – as he was accused of misusing funds and hiring his wife without council approval. The general-news story also included inquiries about his criminal activities, such as the unaccounted for $800,000 in COVID relief funds and sales of scrap metal from a town-owned building for personal gain.
