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• Resident kills burglary suspect

September 07, 2007 (Greenville, SC) – A 70-year-old man shot and killed a burglary suspect inside his home before he was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital with several cuts, according to the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.

William Willis and his wife, Judith, were asleep in their home near Donaldson Center late Tuesday when she heard a noise from another room, according to an incident report.

Willis got his gun and went to investigate, said Master Deputy Michael Hildebrand.

He was cut several times, most seriously on his arm, during a confrontation, he said. The suspect was shot several times, Hildebrand said.

Willis was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in good condition Wednesday, said hospital spokeswoman Sandy Dees.

Emzie Lee Smith, 54, was found dead inside 9 Lake Shore Drive with a knife near his body, said Greenville County deputy coroner Scott Ramsey. Deputies found a .22 caliber pistol in a kitchen sink, according to the report.

Ramsey identified Smith as a transient who had no known last address. He was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m., Ramsey said.

Judith Willis told a deputy that when she went into the dining room, she saw her husband leaning over a sink with blood all over his arm, according to the incident report.

She tried calling 911 but kept getting an operator, the report states. Judith Willis then called a neighbor and asked him to call 911, according to the report.

Hildebrand said that he didn't know of any problem with the 911 system and that investigators were going to review recordings of calls from the incident.

Judith Willis later told a sergeant that she was so upset that she couldn't be sure what number she dialed, Hildebrand said.

When deputies arrived, they found a man lying on his back in the living room with what appeared to be multiple gunshots to the chest, the report states.

The suspect had on gray wool gloves, the report states.

Deputies found an open window and a screen on the ground next to the porch, according to the report.

The case will be handed over to the 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office but charges aren't expected, Hildebrand said.

-By Paul Alongi, Staff Writer, The Greenville News