Judge drops charges against chicken killer suspect

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Clarendon County Chief Magistrate Judge Percy B. Harvin Jr. dismissed the charges against James Laverne Lowery, the suspect in the death of 300,000 chickens in Clarendon and Sumter counties, at the preliminary hearing held this morning in Manning.

Lowery was charged in February with eight counts of second degree burglary and four counts of malicious damage to property at eight farms in Clarendon County. On April 28, a Sumter County magistrate also dismissed charges against Lowery for one count of second degree burglary and one count of malicious damage to property at a chicken farm in Sumter County.

Both judges cited lack of evidence in the dismissal of the cases.

The Sumter Item will have more details in Wednesday's edition.