SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – New details have been released regarding a former Summerville high school principal charged in his wife’s death.
Summerville Police recovered three key pieces of evidence inside the home of former principal James “Stan” Yarborough. There, officers documented blood in several places; a gun was hidden inside a bedroom wall and clothes covered in “fresh” blood, according to court records obtained by News 2 investigators.
According to an affidavit, when officers responded to Yarborough’s Summerville home, they discovered a spent firearm projectile on the floor of the master bedroom and dried blood on his shirt.
Initially, when officers asked Yarborough about the blood, he told them he got “blood on his shirt due to being on the blood thinners.” Not satisfied with the answer, detectives took those clothes for testing.
Newly obtained court records show through a search of the home, detectives also discovered areas where blood had been cleaned up in the master bedroom; a blood trail from the bedroom to the garage and blood in the rear cargo area of Ms. Yarborough’s Ford Edge.
Dorchester County Sheriff’s deputies discovered Karen Yarborough’s body on September 17 dumped along Harrison Road near the Beidler Forest.
The autopsy two days later revealed she was shot in the head and her death was ruled a homicide, according to Dorchester County Coroner Paul Brouthers.
When officers asked Yarborough if he possessed any firearms, he stated that he did not.
“I asked James if he knew why an exposed round would be located on the floor of the master bedroom and he stated that he did not know why it would be there,” according to the police report initially released to the media.
But in new court records, News 2 discovered Yarborough later told investigators at the scene he hid the firearm from the incident in a wall in an upstairs bedroom of the house. Police recovered that .32 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.
Police charged the former educator with obstructing justice, a weapons charge and murder.
The date for a preliminary hearing had been set for October 30. According to the courts, that date was moved back at the request of Yarborough’s attorney this week. A new date has not yet been set.
