Edgefield County Administrator Wayne Adams has been pulled into the investigative reporting aspect of the number of dismissals Solicitor Donnie Myers oversees. Solicitor Myers, who is also embattled with DWI charges in North Carolina as well an inordinate amount of dismissals of criminal domestic violence charges, is facing questions about possible problems involving his office and a possible cover up of an arrest of a county official in Edgefield County.

To cover the entire scope of evidence in Edgefield County, which dates back as far as six years, this will involve a many part series Edgefield Daily.com will reveal.

November 16, 1999: A letter is sent to SLED citing flagrant violations of South Carolina law by elected officials in Edgefield County, most importantly the then sitting Sheriff, Billy Parker. Administrator Wayne Adams, Chief Magistrate Davis Parkman, and former Edgefield Mayor John Pettigrew are cited in court records as being in on a joint effort to thwart justice.

In the letter dated November 16, 1999 it was alleged that a cover up had taken place with the assistance of county and town officials on the arrest of another county official. In the letter, which Edgefield Daily.com has received a copy of, it clearly states former Sheriff Billy Parker subverted SLED guidelines and took obvious steps to hide the fact that an arrest had ever taken place; and furthermore, that if a conviction was ever won it would never show up on police records.

The reply, also in the hands of Edgefield Daily.com, states that SLED says in conversations with Solicitor Donnie Myers that no “chargeable offenses” were associated with the booking of the county official as stated by James Q. Christopher, Major, Deputy Director; South Carolina Law Enforcement.

However, as the case moved forward through the courts the Edgefield County Building Inspector Head, Jack Jenkins, was convicted of Assault and Battery of a citizen at a Public Hearing.

Despite the conviction, Administrator Wayne Adams stated he saw nothing in the course of the trial that led to a conviction, despite a unanimous decision by the jury. A County Department head convicted of a violent crime is, without doubt, an immediate dismissal candidate. Or so one would think.

In spite of the conviction Jenkins was not only allowed to continue being an employee, and a department head, he was allowed to receive a raise and full retirement.

The Citizen News so concisely put it in their November 22, 2000 issue saying, “Did someone disagree with the arrest and conviction? Is that a determination they are able to make? If so, how do we sign up for this club? Or is this just something offered to county employees? We know County Administrator Wayne Adams disagreed. He said he would not discipline the employee, and he didn't.” and concluded with the most obvious of factual observations, “Apparently, there are two standards of justice in Edgefield County. We want to know how to get into the one where your legal arrest is ignored,” and moreover one, “where months later, the verdict of an Edgefield County jury can be disregarded and cosigned to oblivion.”

According to reports, then Sheriff Billy Parker stated it was normal and procedure to photograph and fingerprint those arrested but that Jenkins was not fingerprinted and, “I don’t know why,” he said Jenkins missed that procedure.

It is important to note that Jenkins was not arrested but was allowed to take more than 48 hours to turn himself in. When the arrest did take place he was accompanied by Administrator Wayne Adams. Sheriff Billy Parker, Capt. Beverly Sheal met Jenkins, Administrator Adams, and Chief of Police of Edgefield Mac Ryans in the hallway.

So far so good as to statements in the press, however there seems to be a far different story told when witnesses were put under oath in court hearings.

According to court records former Sheriff Billy Parker interrupted the booking process of the Edgefield County Building Inspector head Jack Jenkins and insisted that no record be taken in order to protect the official.

“We walked in the jail and the Sheriff came out, Sheriff Parker came out. And then--I believe Captain Beverly Sheal came out. And the Sheriff said, ‘well, just--we’re not going to fingerprint him, that way he won’t have no record’. That’s what Sheriff Parker said. And it’s his jail so I mean we walked back there and Elijah Harris was the jailer on duty. He wrote the booking report out and we didn’t process it because we was asked not to,” Edgefield Town Police Chief Mac Ryans is quoted as saying in court records.

In spite of corroborated witnesses, Solicitor Donnie Myers refused to follow through with an investigation into those involved in what had been testified to under oath. At the same time a Union County employee was convicted for failing to send the required documents into SLED for processing which had actually been taken as required. Somehow Edgefield County, and then Sheriff Billy Parker, are immune from such prosecution.

Furthermore, Edgefield Daily.com has also uncovered that former Edgefield Town Mayor John Pettigrew was said to be involved in the alleged deal to hide the investigation and later arrest of a county official because it would hinder” relations,” between the town and the county according to court records.

According to court records Chief Ryans stated then mayor Pettigrew instructed him to drop the investigation saying,” he’s (Mayor Pettigrew) the one that told me to leave it alone.” Records also show Pettigrew stated a witness was the victims mother in law in spite of being family friends with the victim's family, knowing full well the information he was providing to police was false one source said.

Prior to the mayors involvement in the matter Judge Davis Parkman also got involved. Initially Judge Parkman refused to issue the warrant for arrest in spite of Edgefield Police Chief Mac Ryans stating he had investigated the matter and a warrant was necessary.

Chief Ryans is quoted in court records as saying Judge Parkman told him, “it would go away.” Parkman was later excused from the trial because of involvement questioned in motions as improper communication of government officials in a case that was before him.

In spite of all records, Solicitor Donnie Myers refused to investigate or charge anyone involved in the case.

Go away it didn't, and Edgefield Dailycom will report on the continuing implications in a series that will follow over the next few weeks that will conclude with the results of a six year investigation.