Tonnie Baldwin, of Aiken, suspected of murdering Jessica Carpenter, waves to the photographer before he is taken back to the Aiken County Detention Center Tuesday. RON COCKERILLE/STAFF

Killer is in jail, informant says

Web posted Wednesday, January 17, 2001

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By Greg Rickabaugh
South Carolina Bureau

AIKEN - In a break that police hope could crack one of their toughest cases, an informant has claimed that Jessica Carpenter's killer already is in jail.

Based on an informant's statements, Circuit Judge James R. Barber III signed an order Tuesday allowing investigators to take hair, blood and saliva samples from Tonnie Nathaniel Baldwin. The informant told police that Mr. Baldwin admitted raping and killing the Crosland Park teen-ager Aug. 4 in her home, Assistant Solicitor Bill Weeks said Tuesday during a probable-cause hearing.

Police are expected to know in about a week whether DNA tests might connect Mr. Baldwin to semen left at the crime scene, Mr. Weeks said. The testing will be conducted by a state laboratory.

Mr. Baldwin has not been charged in the killing.

According to court documents, Mr. Baldwin has a listed address on Dallas Circle, two miles away from the victim's home on Brentwood Place. He was not in police custody when the killing occurred. He was arrested Oct. 29 and subsequently charged on 10 felony warrants from an alleged crime spree involving burglary, robbery and rape. He has been in jail ever since.

In one incident, Mr. Baldwin and another suspect are accused of kicking in the door at the Royal Inn of Aiken, covering the head of two hotel guests and attacking and robbing them. A female victim allegedly was fondled.

In the Carpenter case, Judy Carpenter returned to her home and found her 17-year-old daughter dead. An autopsy showed the cause of death as internal bleeding and lack of oxygen.

•Tests fail to tie man to killing  •Judge grants bond to slaying suspect  •Suspect has other charges  •Killer is in jail, informant says  •Police update Carpenter-case sketch  •Teen slaying case stays open  •Reward for killer is offered  •Aiken investigators turn to FBI  •Police show sketch of teen wanted for questioning  •Parents take pride in teen's legacy  •Man on camera sought  •Police create profile of teen-ager's killer  •Teen's death hits close to home  •Community says goodbye to teen  •Police seek motive for teen killing  •Friends mourn 17-year-old's death

Aiken Department of Public Safety's lead investigator, Ray Scott, testified in court Tuesday that the informant, identified as Craig Gantt, came forward last week. According to Investigator Scott and Mr. Weeks, the informant gave the following account:

Mr. Gantt was driving around with Mr. Baldwin and smoking marijuana the night of Aug. 4 when Mr. Baldwin admitted to raping and killing a girl in Crosland Park earlier that day. A week earlier, Mr. Baldwin reportedly told his friend that he needed to go to Red Lobster to ``check something out.'' Jessica Carpenter worked as a hostess at Red Lobster restaurant.

While driving around, Mr. Baldwin asked Mr. Gantt what he thought of rape. Mr. Gantt responded that ``he didn't like it a damn bit because he was a product of rape.''

Mr. Gantt's credibility as a reliable informant was challenged in court by Assistant Public Defender David Mauldin, who asked the judge to deny the request for DNA samples from his client, Mr. Baldwin.

Mr. Gantt, 22, has served time in jail for armed robbery and possession of a stolen pistol, and he currently faces a long list of pending charges, including armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, pointing and presenting a firearm and criminal domestic violence. He also faces charges on a probation violation, but he is out of jail on bond while he awaits that charge.

``There's no evidence that he is a reliable person, or an honest and trustworthy person,'' Mr. Mauldin told the judge.

Calling it a ``very serious'' crime, Judge Barber said the information provided by the informant seemed sufficient enough to create probable cause and require Mr. Baldwin to provide the samples.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (803) 648-1395.

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