Woman killed in Little River was suspect’s mother, family member confirms
![“Colby [Kopacz] has a long track record of violence and lashing out when he doesn’t get what he wants,” his sister says. Now, he will face a murder charge in South Carolina after being arrested in Florida.](https://www.newsobserver.com/public/latest-news/hcvm5i/picture255446241/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/policelights_breaking.jpg "“Colby [Kopacz] has a long track record of violence and lashing out when he doesn’t get what he wants,” his sister says. Now, he will face a murder charge in South Carolina after being arrested in Florida.")
A man arrested in Florida awaiting extradition to Horry County is accused of killing his mother, family confirmed.
Colby Kopacz, 29, was arrested Saturday in Pensacola, Florida and is awaiting extradition to Horry County, where he will be charged with murder in the assault and death of Amy Kopacz, 55, according to Horry County police spokesperson Mikayla Moskov.
Holly Kopacz — Colby Kopacz’s sister — told The Sun News that Amy Kopacz is their mother.
Colby Kopacz was living with his mother when he allegedly killed her, Holly Kopacz said.
Holly Kopacz said her brother is short-tempered and has a violent history that caused most family members to cut ties with him.
“Colby has a long track record of violence and lashing out when he doesn’t get what he wants,” Holly Kopacz said.
“The only one who had any faith in him and that he may one day change was my mom,” she said.
Holly Kopacz would not say whether Colby Kopacz had assaulted his mother before, or what happened leading up to the deadly assault this weekend.
While the coroner’s office released a statement Monday saying that Amy Kopacz died from injuries sustained in an assault, Horry County Coroner Robert Edge said Tuesday that an official cause of death has not been determined.
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 4:34 PM.
