Police: Man who called 911 charged with murder, arson

The Wagener man who investigators said called 911 to report seeing his neighbor's home engulfed in flames has been charged with the victim's murder and the fire set to destroy the evidence, officials said.

Dashawn Sanders, 31, of Sharon Lane, was arrested Monday on allegations he beat his neighbor to death Saturday evening and then set the fire to the man's mobile home.

The badly burned body of 57-year-old George Griffin was found inside his Buckboard Road residence after firefighters extinguished the mobile home fire and went inside.

He died from blunt force trauma, said Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton.

The man had a skull fracture and other injuries, Carlton added.

Aiken County Sheriff's Office investigators still aren't saying what the murder weapon was or what the motive for the homicide may be.

Witnesses have told officials, however, that the two men had a history of fighting, although a sheriff's office spokesperson, Sgt. Dave Myers, said there was no recent record of calls to Griffin's home.

According to court documents, Sanders has a lengthy criminal history that includes numerous arrests for disorderly conduct.

The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, which Carlton said was likely not long after the homicide occurred.

Sanders called 911 and was reported as saying he saw the "middle part of the trailer" engulfed in flames, adding that flames were coming out of the window and front door. He said he lived behind the residence and, after seeing the smoke through the trees, called a neighbor, as well.

Griffin's body was found near the rear door, officials said.

This is the first homicide reported in the unincorporated part of Aiken County this year.

Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.