‘They want justice:’ Marion County sheriff offers new details in death, disappearance of Pee Dee paramedic
MARION COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Investigators are still searching for what connection Jaremy Smith might have had with slain Pee Dee paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore, Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace told News13 on Tuesday.
Smith, 32 and of Marion, has been named a person of interest in the death and disappearance of the 52-year-old, whose body was recovered on Friday in a remote part of Dillon County about 14 miles from where she worked part-time in Marion.
Wallace offered new details on the investigation’s early stages, which includes cooperation with New Mexico authorities and federal officials.
Smith is charged with murder after authorities said he shot New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare multiple times along Interstate 40 on Friday.
Timeline: What’s happened so far in the case of slain Pee Dee paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore
Wallace told News13 a representative from Marion County or the sheriff’s office plans to attend Hare’s March 27 funeral in New Mexico.
Earlier this week, Wallace and Dillon County Sheriff Jamie Hamilton announced a joint investigation as they work to figure out specifics of the case.
Here’s what is known: Machado-Fore was last seen on March 12. A missing person’s report was filed two days later without knowing her circumstances, but authorities are looking as far back as when she was last seen alive for clues.
Wallace said Machado-Fore’s white BMW, which Smith was driving when he shot Hare, was associated with the missing person’s report.
Officials found Machado-Fore’s phone in Marion. Wallace said a meeting is planned for Wednesday between federal and state law enforcement as well as the 12th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
“Hopefully over the next couple of days, we’ll be able to provide more information and transparency,” Wallace said.
Tributes pour in for Pee Dee paramedic after body is found in Dillon County
His office has been in regular contact with Machado-Fore’s family as well.
“The family is hurt, angry, and they want justice for their loved one just as much as we do,” he said.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
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