A Jackson, S.C. man whose bound and decomposing body was found in his cellar last November was allegedly the victim of a jealous boyfriend, according to court documents.
An affidavit presented to obtain a search warrant for Adedoyin B. Odutola’s vehicle stored at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office lay out how detectives connected Odutola to Eldon Ledford, 61, whose remains were found Nov. 14 by Aiken County Sheriff officers.
The Aiken County officers were asked to investigate a foul odor at Ledford’s home on Third Street in Jackson. After going through the rooms and not finding anyone, an officer noticed a couch was positioned over a door. Opening it officers found human remains.
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Officers saw what appeared to be blood on the couch and two empty wallets nearby on the floor. It seemed that the home had been searched, and burnt paper indicated someone may have tried to start a fire in the house, according to the search warrant affidavit. In a deep freezer in the laundry room, officers found the remains of an animal.
Two months earlier, Ledford reported a theft and told the responding officer that he had been threatened by the boyfriend of an acquaintance, Tawanda Frank. Detectives also discovered that Ledford had deposited nearly $18,000 in a bank account on Sept. 2, but by Sept. 20 only $32 was left. Checking bank security video they saw Ledford in a vehicle with a woman making a withdraw on Sept. 15. The woman was identified as Frank, according to the warrant.
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Detectives found Frank, 28, had made a complaint against her boyfriend, Odutola, to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. They also tracked down where Odutola had sold what they believed was Ledford’s cell phone and items taken from his Jackson home.
Frank allegedly told detectives that Odutola was jealous of her relationship with Ledford. She said Odutola told her that he killed Ledford and cleaned the scene with bleach but that she said he didn’t believe him, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Odutola, 26, was arrested March 15 at a home in Hephzibah. His vehicle, a 2001 Mazda Tribute, was taken to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for storage. The Aiken County officers wanted to search the vehicle for any possible trace evidence, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
