CHESTER, SOUTH CAROLINA (KMOX) - Bail has been denied for Tyler Terry in South Carolina and the suspect in four shooting deaths – including two in St. Louis County – is ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.
The magistrate judge in Chester, SC asked the defendant several times during his Tuesday morning bail hearing if he was okay, asking if he was aware of what was going on and if he knew where he was. Each time, the 26-year-old suspect quietly said "Yes," then returned to staring distantly around the courtroom.
A mental evaluation is typical for murder suspects, especially those who could potentially face the death penalty. Also, Terry had undergone a stressful week on the run, being found in the woods of Chester County Monday morning in a tired, ragged and scratched up condition.
His first court appearance was just for bail hearings on Chester City and County charges of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, and weapons charges.
No plea was entered by his Circuit Solicitor - or public defender.
"We're just getting started," Solicitor Randy Newman told reporters after the hearing. "It's going to be a long, drawn-out process. These things don't happen quickly."
Terry is accused of killing a transgender man in South Carolina, then of shooting the husband of his travel companion, Eugene Simpson. Adrienne Simpson reportedly told investigators it was Terry who shot her husband, then the two of them dumped the body in a ditch before heading out on a trip that brought them to Missouri.
That's where, on May 15, 70-year-old Barbara Goodkin was shot while riding in a car on Delmar in University City and Dr. Sergei Zacharev was gunned down an hour later in the Drury Inn parking lot in Brentwood. St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell this week announced there was a third shooting incident that night on a local freeway. A man driving a Corvette says he was fired on about ten times, with three bullets hitting his car. Ballistics tie that shooting to Terry and Simpson.
It's unclear at this point if Terry has an attorney in Missouri, and it may be a while before he can face charges in St. Louis County.
© 2021 KMOX (Audacy). All rights reserved
