According to Williamsburg County Sheriff’s reports, on Saturday June 14, 2008, the sheriff’s office received a call from Robert Watford of Watford’s County Line Road Grocery near Andrews. Watford told officers that his alarm had been activated at his store sometime before opening for business. Watford showed the responding officer what he believed to be the point of entry, the side door of the business.

He reported that he was missing some cigarettes as well as some rolls of quarters.
The responding officer investigated the scene taking fingerprints and photographing footprints found near the point of entry and observed force had been used at the point of entry.  Watford also told the officer that he had a video surveillance tape that may show the identity of the perpetrator.

The tape revealed the identity of the alleged suspect of the break-in as Edward Mitchum. The responding officer was able to make contact with the suspect who was in the Williamsburg County Detention Center on other charges.

Mitchum was brought to the sheriff’s office where, after viewing the video, he was interviewed and placed under arrest for the break-in. Mitchum also confessed to an April break-in at Vicki’s Store at 5357 Thurgood Marshall Boulevard in Kingstree. During that break-in cigarettes, six 18-packs of beer and $200 in cash was stolen. At this time Mitchum told officers that he had taken the video surveillance tape from Vicki’s Store and burned it to hide his identity. Mitchum gave a taped confession to sheriff’s officers concerning both incidents.