(NEW YORK) — A murder investigation is underway after six people were found dead at the scene of a house fire in Colleton County, South Carolina, the local sheriff’s office said.
A seventh victim, a 13-year-old, survived the attack in Green Pond, about 40 miles west of Charleston, and was hospitalized in critical condition, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office said.
When authorities responded to a 911 call on Sunday reporting a stabbing and a fire, they found the home fully engulfed in flames and the only survivor outside, Colleton County Sheriff Guerry “Buddy” Hill Jr. said at a news conference Monday.
The surviving teenager, who suffered stabs and cuts, told police the first name of the suspect and said the victims had been stabbed, the sheriff said.
The suspect, Ryan Manigo, 33, was arrested nearby, the sheriff said.
Manigo is the father of one of the slain victims — an 11-year-old girl — and the brother-in-law of another slain victim, the sheriff said.
No motive is known, the sheriff said.
Manigo has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, and more charges are expected, Solicitor Duffie Stone said. Manigo is being held without bond.
“He’ll never be forgiven,” a relative of the victims said at Manigo’s bond hearing Monday.
“I wish you death. I wish they give you the death penalty. … We hate you,” she said.
“I just want to know why,” another relative said.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.