Suspect charged with murder of father and son in deadly shooting, lived with victims for a year

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Timothy Maybin was still at work when he noticed trouble in his gated Fountain Inn neighborhood.

“It makes you think about life and where stuff can happen at -- don’t care where you live,” Maybin said. “I check my cameras on the house and I see (a lot of activity).”

His camera revealed marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles, fire and EMS, yellow caution tape, and a crowd of neighbors with a lot of questions.

“I can’t tell you why this would happen in this type of neighborhood but look around the world, there’s stuff is happening every day like this,” he said. “And now it’s in my backyard.”

According to Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis, neighbors called 911 around 4 p.m. Friday to report a woman was injured with multiple gunshot wounds at a home on Ivy Woods Court.

“She suffered multiple gunshot wounds, she was able to talk to us,” Sheriff Lewis said. “This is a tragedy in every way.”

When deputies arrived, they also found two people dead inside the home. All the victims are believed to be related.

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office identified the victims as 45-year-old Andrew Paul Smith and 72-year-old Richard Ernest Smith.

Andrew Smith died from multiple gunshot wounds while Richard Smith died from a gunshot wound to the chest, the coroner said.

The Sheriff’s Office said the victims were father and son.

“Some personal issues apparently sparked it. And more will come out as we interview the suspect,” Sheriff Lewis said.

Deputies learned that the suspect, 45-year-old Patrick Aloyisius Piotte, had been living with the two victims on Ivy Woods Court for about a year, but moved out several weeks before the shooting occurred. Deputies are still investigating on the reason for his move.

Deputies said Piotte drove to the victims’ home on Feb. 10 and shot and killed the father and son. He also injured a woman by shooting her in the back once, according to arrest warrants.

Authorities also say Piotte was arrested in Spartanburg County. Investigators learned the suspect and at least one of the victims were familiar with each other. During an interview Friday, Sheriff Lewis said he believed Piotte was caught in Spartanburg County thanks to proactive neighbors.

“All of these neighbors helped out and assisted us when we arrived, giving us descriptions, vehicle descriptions, and telling us what they saw and what they heard,” Sheriff Lewis said. “That helped us get information out very early, and we were on the suspect probably 45 minutes of it occurring. So, we were very fortunate.”

Sheriff Lewis says the suspect isn’t related to the victims, and as for the shooting survivor, she was life-flighted to a nearby hospital and is recovering in stable condition and the investigation is ongoing. Investigators anticipate additional charges against Piotte and investigators are also now working with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office but wouldn’t give specifics about what led to the shooting.

On Monday, Feb. 13, the Sheriff’s Office said in addition to the murder charge, Piotte is also charged with first-degree burglary, attempted murder, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Deputies said Piotte was charged with kidnapping on October, 14, 2004.

“There’s more questions than answers right now,” Maybin said.

Piotte appeared in bond court on Saturday morning where the judge denied bond.

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