Sumter man's death whose body was found in creek being ruled homicide

An autopsy has revealed a 31-year-old Sumter man whose body was found in a creek off Dicks Street last week was shot to death.

Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker is ruling the death of Chester Alphonso “Rock” Stavis a homicide after Monday’s autopsy conducted at MUSC showed an “apparent gunshot wound to the chest.”

Baker’s office responded to a call of a body in the creek on Wednesday, Nov. 21 about 9:30 a.m.

Stavis had been reported missing two days earlier, and his family and acquaintances had not heard from him since he left his home on Albert Spears Drive about noon the Thursday prior, according to previous reports.

It had been reported to officers that it was out of character for Stavis to miss work.

The Sumter Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident.