He once faced 2 counts of murder, but avoided prison. He was arrested again last night.
A man on probation for his role in the Socastee car burning and double murder case was arrested by Horry County police Monday.
William Tatum was booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center early Monday morning, according to jail records. Horry County police charged him with operating an uninsured vehicle and driving on a suspended license. He was released Monday evening after posting about $1,000 in bond.
Tatum is currently serving five years probation for his role in the 2018 Socastee incident. He pleaded guilty to an accessory after the fact charge in December 2020 and was sentenced to seven years in prison, though it was suspended for probation. As a result of his plea, the state dropped two counts of murder.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Josh Holford said the probation department will decide whether to try and revoke Tatum’s probation because of the recent arrest. The most recent charges are minor violations and not prosecuted by the solicitor’s office.
Tatum and three other men were charged with murder in connection to the July 2018 death of Matthew Autry and Shawn Anderson. David Cook and Michael Faile pleaded guilty to their roles. Zachary Stell was acquitted on the charges by an Horry County jury.
Cook testified that he met Stell and Faile through another friend. Cook said Faile and Stell were interested in getting revenge for stolen drugs.
Stell and Cook were armed as they drove to a house to find Anderson, Cook said. Stell reached out to Anderson via Facebook Messenger to find his location. Cook said Stell wiped down the bullets before loading them into a gun. The two went to a mobile home park off S.C. 544, where they met Anderson. He got in the PT cruiser, then Autry joined them, Cook said.
Cook said it was Stell who then shot the two men and then they drove to Faile’s house.
At the house, Cook presumed the two victims were dead, but as they cleaned the car he saw Anderson heave and move his body. It was then, Stell—a U.S. Marine—went up and slit his throat, Cook said.
Cook said the group then developed a plan to burn the victims’ bodies and Stell sent Tatum to get gasoline, Cook said.
Cook and Stell argued over who would drive the car with the bodies away from the area and burn the remains, Cook said. Cook said he drove the vehicle with the victims to get the situation “over with fast.” They took the car to a wooded area outside of Socastee where they lit it on fire.
