RELEASE: Motorcycle death Monday turns into domestic dispute with a drug bust in Lancaster County
Fatal Traffic Collision and Domestic Incident
On 07/22/2024 at approximately 06:47 am Lancaster County Public Safety Communications received a 911 emergency call reporting an apparent domestic situation on Hwy 521 near North Corner Rd. A passerby reported that they witnessed a female subject shooting at a male subject who was driving away at a high rate of speed on a motorcycle. The witness reported that the car with two female occupants stayed on the side of the road and the motorcycle continued north on Hwy 521 at a high rate of speed. A short time later, additional calls were received regarding a motorcycle colliding with a tractor trailer truck at the intersection of Hwy 521 and Hwy 5. South Carolina Highway Patrol and other emergency services were dispatched to that scene. Once there, Stephen Duran Harmon Age 33 from York, SC was located deceased. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene. The circumstances involving the traffic accident are being investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol and any questions involving the accident should be referred to the SCHP.
Sheriff’s Office Violent Crime Investigators also arrived on scene to assist. As the investigation unfolded it was learned that Harmon had been at a residence on Cedar Circle Rd. in Lancaster earlier. Harmon left the residence on his motorcycle before apparently pulling over on Hwy 521 near East North Corner Rd. Two female subjects Holly Noel Tuttle, Age 33 of Lancaster and Tiffany Vinson, Age 30, of Lancaster followed Harmon from the residence and pulled over at Harmon’s location on Hwy 521 where a domestic altercation of some sort took place. Tuttle then fired a handgun at Harmon multiple times as he sped away on the motorcycle. Ballistic evidence of the shooting was located at this location Tuttle and Vinson were later located at 3486 Cedar Circle Rd. where they live. Sheriff’s Office investigators conducted a search warrant at the residence. Tuttle and
Vinson were both taken into custody and charged with Breach of Peace of a High and Aggravated Nature and Discharging a Firearm at an occupied vehicle. During the execution of the search warrant investigators recovered evidence of the shooting as well 1,501 Fentanyl pills, 3.6 grams of Marijuana, 8.96 grams of Methamphetamine, and various other prescription pills. Both Tuttle and Vinson were additionally charged with Trafficking Fentanyl, PWID Marijuana, PWID Methamphetamine, and PWID Sch. IV.
The investigation is still active and ongoing, involving multiple public safety agencies. (The Lancaster County Coroner’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office).
*Request for Information- We are also still seeking witnesses who may have observed any part of the incident. If you did witness the incident or have any information about it, please contact Lt. Jennifer Rumbaugh (LCSO Violent Crimes Task Force) at 803-313-2146 or use the Tips mobile app listed below.
“This was a tragic and unnecessary situation,” said Sheriff Barry Faile. “None of this had to occur and unfortunately many innocent people could have been injured. Multiple agencies were able to quickly come together to resolve this incident and locate the involved suspects in a timely manner. We will continue our investigation until we have uncovered all of the facts.”
