Dead teen's neighbor grants DNA test

Web posted August 22, 2000

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By Greg Rickabaugh
South Carolina Bureau

AIKEN - An Aiken teen-ager who lives on the road where a 17-year-old girl was found dead Aug. 4 has agreed to provide a DNA sample to police, according to the teen's father.

Ricky Darryl James Jr., of 102 Brentwood Place, was arrested Sunday on an unrelated charge, and police discussed the slaying with him as part of a ``process of elimination,'' according to Rick James, the teen's father.

Aiken public safety investigators told the father that others in the Crosland Park neighborhood also were interviewed.

The body of Jessica Carpenter, 17, was discovered by her mother in her home at 113 Brentwood Place.

``We've been interviewing a lot of people,'' Capt. Tom Galardi said Monday. ``(But) we're not commenting on the process at this point.''

Sunday's arrest stemmed from an earlier incident.

Ricky was convicted on a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge last month and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, his father said.

When he didn't complete it, a hearing date was set for Friday, but the teen didn't show up. In his absence, Magistrate Judge Charles Simons found Ricky in contempt of court and ordered a seven-day jail sentence.

Aiken officers went to his home Sunday to arrest him, but he did not come out, Mr. James said.

``Like anybody, he didn't want to go to jail,'' the father said.

By the time he surrendered a half-hour later, Mr. James counted five patrol cars and eight officers outside the house.

Afterward, city investigators interviewed Ricky about Jessica's death, Mr. James said. The teen waived his right to an attorney and voluntarily submitted to a DNA sample.

Police are awaiting the results of forensic tests, including one that will determine whether Jessica was sexually assaulted.

Meanwhile, another resident told The Augusta Chronicle that he was given a lie detector test as part of the Carpenter investigation. Michael Brown lives next door to the Carpenter home and was working on his roof Aug. 4.

``I didn't see anything, and I didn't do anything,'' Mr. Brown said last week.

According to Mr. James, his son was with friends at the time of Jessica's slaying. The son arrived back at his home a few hours after the killing, the father said.

Although Ricky is the same age as Jessica, they were not in school together at Aiken High School. Ricky dropped out of school to support a baby and began working with his father in a window-cleaning business.

But Ricky did know Jessica from earlier school years, Mr. James said.

The disorderly conduct conviction involved an incident in July when Ricky was intoxicated while walking a few female friends home in the dark. Police officers stopped him and charged him with the misdemeanor.

He is in the Aiken County Detention Center serving the sentence.

On Monday, Aiken resident Mark Taylor announced that he is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the killer. Two of Mr. Taylor's sons worked with Jessica at Red Lobster.

``Anybody that would do this doesn't need to be running around free,'' Mr. Taylor said.

The new money raises the reward for information to $2,000. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Aiken County Crime Stoppers at (803) 642-1798 or Aiken police at (803) 642-7620.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (803) 279-6895.