3 convicted, sentenced in Georgetown County murder case

GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WMBF) - A brother and sister will spend over three decades in prison after being convicted in a Georgetown County murder case.

The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said Thursday that a jury found 37-year-old Tiesha Annett Rhue and 38-year-old Alexander Rhue, Jr. guilty of murder and obstruction of justice in the death of Tiesha’s husband, Leon Harrison Jr.

The siblings’ father, 61-year-old Alexander Rhue, Sr., was also found guilty of obstruction of justice but was acquitted on a murder charge.

Officials said Harrison was found dead in the Black River on March 11, 2017, after his body was spotted by a homeowner. Authoirties said Harrison, who had been reported missing by family members two days before, was tightly bound by his hands and feet by speaker wire when his body was found.

Prosecutors stated that the investigation found Harrison and Tiesha Rhue had marital problems and argued prior to him being reported missing. Investigators also found that sections of carpeting had been cut from the floor the two sometimes shared, and blood was found on the carpet padding.

The investigation also showed Alexander Rhue, Sr. and Alexander Rhue, Jr. were both found purchasing two bottles of hydrogen peroxide from a Walmart later that night, and that all three suspects turned off their phones at around 2 a.m. the next morning. All three then gave law enforcement false information and attempted to conceal evidence, according to prosecutors.

Tiesha Rhue and Alexander Rhue, Jr. were each sentenced to 37 years in prison on murder charges and eight years on obstruction charges. Each sentence will be served concurrently, according to officials.

Alexander Rhue, Sr. was sentenced to eight years after being convicted on obstruction charges, followed by three years probation. His sentence was suspended to the time he has already served in jail, which prosecutors said was at 549 days.

The Georgetown Police Department investigated the case, alongside several other agencies including the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

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