‘History of disturbances’ at Myrtle Beach area home where police say man killed his wife
Three days before a Myrtle Beach woman was found dead in her bedroom, the man accused of killing her got out of jail for a domestic disturbance stemming from her sleeping in a car.
Donald Gibel is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center and charged with killing his wife, Tiffany Guinn. Gibel, 43, was booked Monday on charges of murder and domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature. Gibel had recently threatened to harm or kill Guinn, according to his arrest warrant.
Guinn, 49, was identified by Horry County Coroner Robert Edge Wednesday afternoon as the victim who was found dead in the home last week. Her death was a result of blunt force trauma, according to an autopsy conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Horry County police records and documents show a bevy of domestic disputes at the Longhorn Drive address where Guinn was found dead. 911 call records, which The Sun News obtained via an open records request, show authorities responded to the home seven times from September until March 18 -- the day of Guinn’s death. Four of the 911 calls were domestic incidents ranging from physical or verbal disturbances to disorderly conduct.
The most recent incident led to Gibel being arrested and charged with indecent exposure on March 5, police records show.
Police were called to the home in early March to interview a witness, according to an Horry County police incident report. The witness said she and her family, including her teenage daughter, came home about 9:30 p.m. on March 4 and saw Gibel naked in his driveway, banging on a car window, yelling and cursing at his wife to come inside the house.
In the incident report, an Horry County police officer noted a “history of disturbances” at that residence involving Gibel’s wife sleeping in her car. Guinn regularly slept in the car, which is registered under Gibel’s name, police records show. Officials did not provide additional details as to why Guinn slept in the car or how often.
The witness showed a police officer two photos of Gibel standing naked in the driveway, which the officer used to confirm the address of the incident, according to the police report.
Gibel spent 10 days in jail for the indecent exposure charge before posting a $5,000 bond on March 15, jail records show. Guinn was found dead in a bedroom March 18 at the couple’s home. Gibel was arrested and charged in Guinn’s slaying on Monday. His bail has not been set.
Gibel’s arrest warrant echoes that he was “identified by law enforcement due to prior disturbances at his residence.”
There are no domestic violence shelters in Horry County. The closest shelter available for people in unsafe domestic situations is the Family Justice Center of Georgetown and Horry Counties. The shelter is located in Georgetown, which is about an hour’s drive away from Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 4:53 PM.
