South Carolina Couple Murdered on Sint Maarten.

 

AP) PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — A couple from South Carolina has been killed in the Dutch Caribbean country of St. Maarten, police said Friday. The bodies of Michael and Thelma King were found Friday in their beachfront condominium, according to police spokesman Ricardo Henson, who said there were signs of foul play. He declined further comment.

Local restaurant owner Topper Daboul told The Associated Press that he was a friend of Michael King and that they were building a rum factory together.

He said that King had recently sold an unidentified company in the U.S. ”These two people probably had to hang their wings up at night. That’s how beautiful they were,” Daboul said. “Their life was pretty successful … They had oodles of dollars. They had everything they ever wanted in life.”Neither Daboul nor police knew the King’s hometown. Both were in their 50s. Daboul said he last saw Michael King on Wednesday afternoon. ”I knew some other friends had drinks with them that night,” he said. “We weren’t able to reach them on Thursday. We called all day on Thursday. The fact that he didn’t call made me a little suspicious, but not a lot.”Daboul said he drove over to the apartment on Friday and banged on the door. He said he asked a person who had been on the premises at the time to climb over a fence and see if they saw anyone in the house. Daboul said the person told him that he saw a dead man leaning over a chair.

 

The Kings were part-time residents of St. Maarten and owned several homes.