Readers are cautioned this story contains graphic details that may be disturbing
SELMA – New and graphic details are emerging about a crime scene discovered October 4th after a couple in their 70’s was murdered, reportedly by their own son. Authorities said it appears the couple and their dog had been shot to death and left inside the home for an extended period of time.
The bodies of Stephen Michael Boggs Sr., 71, and his wife, Brenda McFatter Boggs, 71, were found in their home at 960 Olivia Way, Selma by deputies who were summoned by neighbors who had not seen the couple for two months. Their son, Stephen Michael Boggs Jr., 53, was arrested the following day, Oct. 5th, at a motel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was returned to Johnston County on Oct. 6th and charged with the homicide of his parents.
Copies of two search warrants were released Thursday. According to the documents, Johnston County deputies responded to a call at 3:06pm Sunday for a welfare check at the couple’s Olivia Way home. The caller, who was a neighbor, said she had not seen the couple in approximately 8 weeks. The neighbor said she saw their son, Stephen Boggs Jr., at the home about 4 days earlier. While Stephen Boggs Jr. was at his parents residence she attempted to make contact with him but he refused to come to the door.
On Oct. 4th, during the welfare check, deputies made entry into the home through an unlocked window. Officers noticed a towel under an interior door that led to the attached garage. There were “coffee grounds piled on top of the towel in front of the door.” The search warrant indicated the words “Don’t Open Nasty!” was written on the door leading into the garage.
Upon unlocking the deadbolt on garage door, deputies found two decomposed human bodies and a deceased dog on the garage floor. Areas of apparent bloodstains and blood spatter were observed inside the home along with a bullet projectile in the living room near the front door.
Deputies later interviewed a second neighbor who had tried to make numerous telephone calls to Brenda Boggs for several weeks. The neighbor operated a salon and in the past had performed hair styling for Brenda. Brenda reportedly told the neighbor in a previous conversation her son had been living at the residence for several months.
According to the search warrant, the neighbor said she had observed a silver 2007 Ford truck belonging to the son coming and going from the residence on several occasions in recent weeks and most recently on October 1st, three days before the bodies were found.
Crime scene investigators found several receipts of recent transactions using Brenda Boggs credit card. The card was used at Harris Teeter on Flowers Crossroads Way, Clayton on September 16, 2020 for a $33.88 purchase for food, drinks, and Raid fly and bug spray. Surveillance images showed an individual believed to be Stephen Michael Boggs Jr. making the transactions with his mother’s credit card.
On September 22, 2020, their son is believed to have made another purchase at the same Harris Teeter for $20.24. This time he bought food and alcohol. According to the search warrant, Brenda Boggs could not have made these purchases due to the amount of time she had been deceased.
On October 5th, Johnston County sheriff’s detectives and Horry County SC sheriff’s deputies located Stephen Michael Boggs Jr. at the Summer Wind Inn and Suites in Myrtle Beach, SC. His silver 2007 Ford truck was located in the hotel parking lot. Officers located the suspect in a room. During an interview he allegedly told officers the weapon he used to shoot his parents was located under the back seat of his truck.
The truck was seized and towed back to Smithfield. Deputies later recovered a 357 revolver, 25 caliber pistol, 38 revolver, assorted ammunition, three knives, a machete and receipts from the truck.
During a separate search warrant at the Olivia Way home, officers seized cell phones, receipts, bank statements, projectiles, coffee bags, two rifles, three shotguns, holster, sword, ammunition, empty liquor bottles, shoes, a mop head, and socks among other items.
Stephen Michael Boggs Jr. remains in the Johnston County Jail charged with two counts of murder and the concealment of the death of his parents. He is being held without bond.
