Unsolved Mystery: Triple Murder at the Blue Ridge Savings Bank

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Greer, South Carolina. Greer Police Department Renews Push for Unsolved Bank Heist and Triple Homicide. Three people were gunned down inside the Blue Ridge Savings Bank.

The police department continues to investigate this case and hopes that someone will come forward and provide information that will help investigators solve this crime and bring closure to the victim’s families.

Sylvia Holtzclaw, a bank teller, Local Teachers & Customers Eb Barnes and Maggie Barnes were all found dead inside the bank off Highway 85 at State 14. An alarm went off at the bank around 1:30 p.m.

Police discovered their bodies in a utility room in the back of the building. They all died from gunshot wounds from a 40-caliber Glock.

There was no evidence of a struggle and speculation arose as to what events unfolded just before the shots were fired. Rarely do bullets fly during the commission of a bank robbery. Suspects are there to get money and leave, police officials explained. However, little money had been taken.

An hour after the murder, the police got their first break from a convenience store video. There was red car that was seen approaching the bank at around 1:24 pm. They learned that a Red Alerno had been stolen two weeks before the murders. And they know who stole it.

Emerson Wright was suddenly a person of interest but he had disappeared. A year later, he was in a car chase with the Georgia State Police but escaped. Two years later, in another police chase, rather than being caught, he shot himself in the head. Police lost their most promising lead. They had no other suspects but someone must know something.    

Blue Ridge Bank Murders Still Haunt South Carolina Town (Crime Watch Daily, YouTube Video)

The shooting sent a ripple across the the community as Sylvia Holtzclaw and Eb and Maggie Barnes were slain in broad daylight, the first triple murder in Greer’s history.

The case remains unsolved and investigators are still pushing for answers. No arrests have been made, and authorities say the investigation is ongoing.

Money was taken from the bank, confirming that the motive was bank robbery.

“We do honestly believe that somebody out there knows something,” said Greer Police Department Detective Dale Arterburn.

A reward was offered and an FBI investigation was launched. A sketch of an apparent gunman was also released. A few tips are called in each year, but none have panned out, Arterburn said.

“We’ll take everything somebody is willing to tell us about,” he said.

Out of the nine homicide cases Greer police worked that year, the Blue Ridge Savings Bank case was the only one left unsolved without any arrests, Arterburn said.

“To have one hanging on you like that is not good,” he said. “We’d love to get closure.”

Those with any information about the Blue Ridge Savings Bank heist and deaths are asked to contact the Greer Police Department Criminal Investigations.

FBI Most Wanted: Murder and Bank Robbery

Agents are also seeking information on the identification of an unknown individual, shown in the sketches, who allegedly was in the bank just prior to the crimes.

The individual in the sketches is described as a White male, approximately 5’6″ to 5’8″ tall and weighing 230 pounds. At the time of the incident, he was between 50 and 53 years old. He had short, blond hair with a touch of gray, and was described as having a clean-cut appearance.

The Search for a Person of Interest in the Greer, South Carolina Bank Heist & Triple Murder

Submit a Tip:

If you have any information concerning this case, please contact your local FBI office; or submit a tip on the FBI’s website by visiting https://fbi.tips.gov.

You may also contact:

FBI Office in Greenville, South Carolina at (803) 551-4200 or (864) 232-3807

Greer Police Department Criminal Investigations at (864) 848-2151.

Unsolved Mystery: Triple Murder at the Blue Ridge Savings Bank in Greer, South Carolina

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