Exclusive: Mother Of Murdered Union Woman Speaks

Posted in related deaths

7-28-2011 South Carolina:

UNION, SC -- July 28th Update 5:30 p.m. The mother of a woman who police said was killed by her ex-boyfriend spoke exclusively with 7 On Your Side, and she said there were warning signs the man wanted to hurt her daughter.

Over 100 people gathered Wednesday night at Foster Park in Union to remember 21-year-old Rosemary Lee with a candlelight vigil, speeches, and songs.

Police said 34-year-old Kerry Devon Brown shot and killed Lee Tuesday afternoon and then took his own life.

Brenda Davis said her daughter, Rosemary Lee, was pregnant and had a young daughter who left the park before the shooting.

"When he shot my daughter to death I stood and I watched and there's nothing in this world I could do to get to her and all I could hear my baby say was mamma", said Davis.

Davis said their family will raise Lee's daughter to be the young lady her mother would have wanted. "There's nothing my baby wouldn't have done for anybody on this earth. She would have gave you her last dollar", she cried.

Davis said Brown had threatened Lee in the weeks and months leading up to the shooting, but despite the warnings, Davis says her daughter couldn't find the help she needed.

A single police report was filed with Union Public Safety in which Lee told officers Brown was making threatening comments. However, officers said Lee never returned calls to the investigator who was assigned to investigate.

That's common among abused women, according to Lynn Hawkins at SafeHomes in Spartanburg. But she said it's important that women make contact with someone -- whether an advocate, family, friends or employers.

A 24/7 crisis hotline is available to women in the Upstate. Counselors can help get just about any resource needed. The number is 1-800-273-5066.

July 26th Update

Authorities in Union tell Seven on Your Side that two people are now dead after a shooting at a Union park bustling with children.

The shooting happened around 1:00 pm, on Tuesday at Foster Park.

Cpt. Gregg Pickens with Union Public Safety says they believe a man shot a woman and then shot himself near a picnic shed at Foster Park.

Sheriff David Taylor, with the Union County Sheriff's Office says both that man, and the woman have now died.

Taylor says the accused gunman was 34 year-old Kerry Devon Brown. He says the woman was Rosemary Michelle Lee. They have not released her age, but have confirmed she was pregnant.

Taylor says both of them were from Lockhart, in Union County.

Sheriff Taylor, who was on scene to assist city officers, said the park was full of children and other families at the time of the shooting.

"It's very fortunate no one else was hurt," Taylor said.

Officers said there appeared to be a church group from out of town at the park at the time of the shooting, but they didn't know where the group was from.

After the shooting, Pickens said there was a call at Wallace Thomson Hospital that a family member of one of the victims was causing a disturbance and threatening to hurt the alleged shooter.

According to SLED, in 1997 Brown was convicted of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor under 16.

That same year, he was sentenced to five years for involuntary manslaughter.

Brown's record goes back to 1996 and because of the charges, 1st Sgt. Troy Wright of the Union Public Safety Departnment says Brown wasn't even supposed to have a weapon. ..Source.. by WSPA Staff