Arrest made in Tenn. for Six Mile murder

SIX MILE — A man was arrested in Tennessee following the investigation into the shooting death of 31-year-old Dustin Lee Smith, from Seneca, who was found deceased on the shoulder of Ponderosa Drive in Six Mile early Sunday morning.

According to Pickens County Chief Deputy Chad Brooks, at approximately 8:35 a.m. on Sunday, the Sheriff’s Office received a report from a passing motorist of a suspicious person that appeared to be injured on the shoulder of Ponderosa Drive near Ponderosa Park.

Deputies arrived on the scene and located a male subject that was deceased just feet from the paved roadway, Brooks said. Deputies examined the scene and determined the death appeared “suspicious.”

The Pickens County Coroner’s Office later identified the victim as Smith and concluded his death was a homicide. An autopsy was conducted at Greenville Memorial Hospital which determined the cause of death, officials said.

Brooks said a team of detectives have worked around the clock since Smith’s body was first discovered.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old David Micheal Watkins, according to the arrest warrant, was identified during the investigation which led detectives to Johnson County, Tenn., where Watkins was taken into custody without incident, Brooks said.

“This investigation is still on-going as Sheriff’s detectives are investigating additional leads and information to determine if there are other potential co-defendant(s) that may have played a role before and/or after Mr. Smith’s death,” said Brooks.

Watkins awaits extradition back to South Carolina where he will be booked on murder charges, officials said.

“Please join with us as we pray for Mr. Smith’s family and friends as they attempt to understand and cope with this tragic and senseless loss of life,” said Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark. “Our hearts go out to each and every one of them as we remain focused on the mission at hand; which is to bring the person or persons responsible for his death to justice. I would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the excellent law enforcement officers from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who assisted us during this investigation. The success of this investigation would not have been possible without them.”