Cheerleader's body found in Broad River

Staff Writer

The investigation into the disappearance of Marisha Jeter ended where authorities began their trail of clues - with her former boyfriend.

The 16-year-old Union County High School cheerleader was reported missing early Friday morning, a few hours after her parents said she went to McDonald's and never returned. The short but intensive search ended Saturday afternoon when her body was spotted in the Broad River near Lockhart.

Charged with her murder are her ex-boyfriend, Pernell Clayton “Chub” Thompson, 20, of 1354 Sulphur Springs Road, Jonesville, and his wife, 19-year-old Yolanda Dee Thompson of 1414 Sulphur Springs Road. Pernell Thompson is a Jonesville High School graduate who was on the football team at Wingate University.

Chief Sam White of the Union Public Safety Department said Thompson and Miss Jeter had had a relationship before he married Yolanda Thompson in the summer of 2007. The Thompsons have a baby together.

Pernell Thompson had maintained contact with Marisha.

“His wife didn't like him talking to her,” White said. “That put us in that direction. We were looking at all kinds of scenarios.”

White called Marisha's killing “senseless.” He said the Thompsons were equal partners in the crime.

Marisha's father, Union County School Board member and former chairman Manning Jeter, told public safety officers that Marisha left home around 9:30 p.m. to go to McDonald's. White said a clerk there told police he knew Marisha and did remember seeing her at the restaurant. White said officers planned to review a surveillance tape today.

When she didn't return home by 10:15 p.m., Jeter said he began calling his daughter's cell phone. Around 1 a.m., he notified authorities and the search began for Marisha and her bright pink 1994 Toyota Celica. Jeter had painted it himself at the auto body shop he owns.

“We didn't know it then, but it was already over,” White said.

No one knew that Marisha had been receiving and sending text messages to Pernell Thompson before she left home. She agreed to meet him behind the Union County YMCA. White said he did not know if Marisha knew that Yolanda Thompson would be in the car with her husband.

“The boy and his wife met her and killed her in the back parking lot,” White said. “He stabbed her in the neck and they loaded her in the car and took her to Lockhart.”

An autopsy showed Marisha suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck, including a wound to an artery that caused her to bleed to death. The autopsy showed Marisa was not pregnant, a rumor that had swirled in the community since her death.

One of the Thompsons drove Marisha's car while the other drove their car. They put Marisha's body in the Broad River underneath the bridge at the Union County/Chester County line.

They then drove both cars into Chester County. In the Turkey Creek area they doused Marisha's car with gasoline and burned it. White said the vehicle identification number of the car was obliterated in the fire and the tag had either been removed or also was destroyed in the blaze. A state trooper called to examine it around 2:30 a.m. Friday had no way of tracing the owner and had the vehicle towed.

Manning Jeter told officers he felt like Thompson was a good place to start in the search for Marisha. White said he phoned campus police at Wingate University and they were familiar with Thompson and where he lived.

“They said, ‘Oh, yes, he's one of our students,'” White said. “They went to his apartment and looked for the pink car, but it wasn't there.”

Friends of Marisha, who was junior class president and a yearbook staff member, told police they had no idea where she could be. Agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division were called to assist with the case and the S.C. Forestry Commission sent an airplane to fly over the county and look for Marisha's car.

The Thompsons were brought in for questioning several times and were cooperative, White said. Meanwhile, authorities kept putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

A Spartanburg high school student taking photos from the bridge for an art class spotted something suspicious in the river around 4 p.m. White said she used a zoom lens to get a better look and called 911. Authorities determined the location was in Chester County, and authorities from there took custody of her body.

“It was a blessing that girl was making pictures or we would still be looking,” White said.

The Thompsons were brought in for questioning again. White said officers laid out the details of their investigation. This time they confessed.

White said it was hard to tell the Jeter family that Marisha was dead. His wife serves on the school board with Jeter and his daughter played in the band with Marisha.

“We never dreamed it would turn out like this,” he said. “You always hope for the best.”

Manning Jeter said this morning the family could feel the prayers of the community and appreciated the outpouring of support.

“Just keep praying for us,” he said.

White praised Lt. Charles Henderson, the lead investigator in the case, all the department's detectives and school resource officers. He thanked the Union County Sheriff's Office, Chester County Sheriff's Office, SLED, the Forestry Commission and others who assisted in the case.

“We had off-duty people come in and help without even being asked,” he said. “A lot of people in the department took part in their own separate way. We had people out looking for the car, people talking to friends. Charles was out all night. This is not something you do by yourself. It was a team effort and we've got a good team here.”

The Thompsons are being held in the Union County Jail awaiting bond, which must be set by a circuit court judge.