He murdered his ex-wife and set fire to her bait shop, now he’ll serve decades in prison
A man who killed his ex-wife and set fire to her bait shop will spend nearly a half-century in prison.
Eric Perry pleaded guilty to murder and third-degree arson for the killing of Jessica Hill, 37, in 2017. He entered his pleas on Monday in Georgetown County court and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, according to the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Hill, known as Jessica Perry while married, owned Perry’s Bait & Tackle, 3965 U.S. Highway 17 Business, in Murrells Inlet.
A witness saw Eric Perry set fire to the shop and tried to stop him on Sept. 29, 2017, according to an arrest warrant. Several Georgetown, state and federal police agencies worked to find Hill after the fire, officials said. They found Perry operating a boat in the Murrells Inlet area and Hill’s body was on board.
Hill died from strangulation and head trauma, a Georgetown Coroner previously said.
Hill was locally known as the face of the bait shop. Friends and family held a memorial service for her on the water and later added the Jessica Perry Memorial Reef as part of the Pawleys Island Reef.
This story was originally published July 22, 2019 at 6:17 PM.
