Coroner: Taylors Woman Shot Multiple Times Before House Set On Fire

Updated: February 23, 2012

The family of the woman who officials say was shot multiple times in the head before being burned in a Taylors house fire earlier this week has set up a memorial fund.

They request in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alice Owenby Memorial Fund at Greenville Federal Credit Union.

The family is thanking the community for their condolences.

Further arrangements will be announced Friday.

Click here for Owneby's obituary.

The family says it has no idea who would have wanted to hurt her.

Updated: February 22, 2012

Greenville County coroner's office investigator Barry Wright said that Alice Owenby, the woman whose body was found inside a burned Taylors home earlier this week, was shot multiple times in the head before the fire started.

Officials are investigating the case as a homicide.

Owenby, a widow, was the only person living at the home on McConnell Road before it went up in flames Tuesday.

7 On Your Side will continue to keep you updated.

Posted: February 21, 2012

It's a mystery that all started with a call for help.

Firefighters responded to a home at 301 McConnell Road around 5:30 Tuesday morning after receiving a report that the house was on fire. What they thought was a ordinary fire later turned out to be more than they bargained for.

After the fire was extinguished and an arson investigator was called to the scene, a body was discovered in the ruins.

"It was found that there was in fact someone inside during the fire and there was a dead body inside," said Greenville County Deputy Zach Hinton.

But if you think that was strange, a short time later Greenville County Sheriff's deputies found an abandoned car registered to a person at the address about 20 miles away. Deputies, along with tracking dogs searched near Packs Mountain Ridge Road Tuesday afternoon looking for any clues that could lead them back to the car and the fire.

"We're trying to determine any link between the car and this fire," said Hinton.

Greenville County deputy coroner Barry Wright announced the name of the victim, 63-year-old Alice Barber Owenby, Wednesday.  

Investigators say the widow was the only person living at the house. 

Wright says he is waiting on confirmation on the cause of her death.

Just across the street from where fire gutted the home, Dan Holman said he knew Owenby. Now, he says he is afraid for the safety of his parents, who are moving into the neighborhood.

"My parents are moving in here in three weeks," Holman said. "And my dad is 81 and my mom is 77."

Despite the tragedy, Holman said that the neighborhood is usually very tame.

'We've lived here since 1980," he said. "And nothing like this has ever happened here."  

Investigators say there are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

If you have any information about the fire or abandoned car, call Crimestoppers at 23-CRIME.

7 On Your Side will continue to keep you updated on this developing story.