Dec. 2024, From the desk of Sam Berlin, LUNASHARK Media provides updates on several ongoing and shocking investigations.
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South Carolina Mayor Dies Following Police Department Controversy, McColl, SC
This month, we focus our sights on a South Carolina town drowning in controversy following the death of their mayor and resignation of the entire police department.
The small town of McColl gained national attention following the Mayor’s death just days after the entire police force, including the chief, resigned.
In November, the police chief announced his and the four other officers in the department were resigning, leaving the small town without any police presence. Now, the town is facing a controversial nonprofit that promised to assist with citizen patrols before backing out earlier this month.
McColl Mayor George Garner died in a car accident on Nov. 26, just a few days after former Police Chief Bob Hale confirmed his resignation in a Facebook post.
“My personal decision to step away from the McColl Police Department can be attributed to repeated acts of harassment, personal attacks on my character, and the overall creation of a hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman,” the post reads.
Although Hale did not name the councilman, he accused them of harassment, hostility, and of inhibiting the success of the police department by cutting money from the “already depleted budget.”
Town council members told local outlet WBTW that they did not know what led to the officers’ resignations.
Back in June 2023, WBTW reported about another former McColl Police Chief resigning. Former Chief Xzavier Williams cited his reason for leaving as a “hostile work environment” caused by then Mayor Garner.
Then in May 2024, former McColl Police Captain Dozier L. Rhames was charged with misconduct and second-degree assault and battery.
On Dec. 2, a Texas-based nonprofit called The One in Five Foundation For Kids (also known as the Uvalde Foundation for Kids) announced it would send patrols to McColl.
According to a press release, the nonprofit is, “launching STOPNOW citizen patrol teams.” Following this announcement, the nonprofit began receiving negative attention from local and state officials, with many citing the nonprofit did not properly contact local authorities prior to their announcement.
In a statement released by the nonprofit’s founder Daniel Chapin explained that the nonprofit’s patrol teams are citizen-run collaborations.
“When you have an entire police force and its Chief resign, coupled with the Mayor being killed while himself being pursued by the very department assigned to ‘protect him,’ – It leaves very little trust for collaboration,” Chapin wrote. “The community does not need the Sheriff’s permission to be empowered to do its part. As a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the safety of students and communities across this nation – Quite frankly, neither do we.”
South Carolina Senator JD Chaplin requested assistance from South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, citing concern that the nonprofit was not running legally.
Senator Chaplin wrote that he was concerned about the, “”unlawful usurpation of the municipality’s police powers.”
In a statement to WBTW, the South Carolina Attorney General’s office stated that the nonprofit is within their legal right to have citizen patrols in McColl. However, the Post and Courier reports that following an “initial patrol” on Dec. 9, the nonprofit pulled out all assistance.
An election is scheduled for March 4 to fill Garner’s Mayoral position.
Police Chief Found Guilty for Sexually Assaulting a Child, Maypearl, TX
Another small town in Texas is still dealing with their former police chief, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. But following an investigation, several more victims were allegedly identified.
A jury found former police chief Kevin Michael Coffey guilty of indecency with a child and sexual assault of a child in Feb. 2017. He was sentenced to 20 years in each indictment.
In a recent Washington Post investigation published Dec. 18, Coffey’s alleged victims spoke with journalists about their experiences, with many fearing what would happen if they came forward.
According to court documents, Coffey, the former Chief of Police for the Maypearl Police Department, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and sent inappropriate photographs to a 15-year-old girl.
During the investigation, authorities discovered names of additional minors who were allegedly victimized by Coffey, who joined the Maypearl police in 2010.
According to court documents, “Coffey would then groom them to participate in sexual activities with him, including exchanging nude photographs and videos, exchanging pornographic electronic messages, and participating in inappropriate physical contact.”
The recently published Post investigation found that Coffey had previously worked at seven law enforcement agencies in the past 11 years.
“Coffey had even been accused of mistakenly shooting another officer while serving a warrant,” the article reads. “The injured cop sued Coffey and his employer, records show, and eventually received a settlement.”
Coffey’s attorneys filed an appeal in Oct. 2021, requesting the following:
- trial court to produce documents relating to his post-conviction writs of habeas corpus
- The Court to compel the trial court to review his entire post-conviction writs of habeas corpus
- The Court to resubmit the motion to the Court of Appeals
- Trial Court to reverse motion to suppress evidence
Updates Into Suspicious Death of Ellen Greenberg, Manayunk, PA
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reviewed Ellen Greenberg’s death, yet Chester County investigators announced on November 8th that there was not enough evidence to pursue a criminal investigation.
For a quick review: Ellen was found dead on her kitchen floor on January 26, 2011, after a blizzard caused her first grade class to be canceled for the day. Ellen was discovered by her fiance, Sam Goldberg, who claims he was in the apartment gym at the time of her death.
According to CBS News and the family’s Change.org petition, the neuropathologist hired by the city of Philadelphia testified that at least one of the stab wounds occurred after Greenberg was already dead.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to review the medical examiner’s decision to change the cause of death to ‘Suicide’ from ‘Homicide’ in September. However, investigators in Chester County announced that there was not enough evidence to charge or pursue anyone criminally for her death.
The supreme court review follows the Commonwealth’s 2023 decision that Greenberg’s family and attorneys did not have the right to fight the medical examiner’s cause of death determination.
Justice for Ellen Rae Greenberg
Number of signatures as of December 30, 2024
According to CBS News, the medical examiner initially determined Greenberg’s cause of death to be homicide before reversing the decision, CBS News reported. Her family believe the reversal was suspicious and a possible cover up.
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