Goose Creek police chief ‘devastated’ by recent double murder-suicide
GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCBD)- Police see so much in a day-to-day, but this case. is causing immense pain for the Goose Creek Police Department.
“We have a meeting set up where a counselor is going to come in and talk to the officers who responded to that scene,” Goose Creek Police Chief, LJ Roscoe said.
Police say they responded to a call on Water Oak Drive Saturday night around 9:45.
The call was regarding an intoxicated man with a gun holding people hostage inside a home.
Hostage negotiators tried to make contact with the man inside but couldn’t.
“Then we decided to go ahead and breach the home and it was at that time we found the victim,” Chief Roscoe said.
Inside the home, police found 43-year-old Tracy McEvoy, her 15-year-old son, and the suspect who was Tracy’s boyfriend, 43-year-old Nicholas Hegwein, dead.
Hegwein had been arrested in the fall for a domestic violence charge against McEvoy.
“Unfortunately the victim recanted and didn’t want to prosecute so the charges were dropped by the solicitor’s office,” Chief Roscoe said.
The victim advocate at the Goose Creek Police Department, Olivia Menjares says it’s especially hard knowing McEvoy and her son could still be alive today, if the original charges against Hegwein weren’t dropped.
She says she wants people in a domestic violence relationship to know there’s a way out.
“The number one thing is you’re not alone. If you find yourself in this type of situation there’s a whole community behind you,” Menjares.
South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault is a statewide coalition of organizations dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault. They provide comprehensive services, including emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and community outreach. They operate a 24/7 helpline: 1-800-868-2632.
South Carolina Legal Services offers free legal assistance to low-income individuals facing issues related to domestic violence, such as obtaining protective orders, divorce proceedings, and child custody matters. They can be reached at 1-888-346-5592.
My Sister’s House is a nonprofit organization based in Charleston that provides shelter, support services, and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and their children. They operate a 24-hour crisis line: 1-800-273-4673.
National Domestic Violence Hotline offers confidential support, information, and resources to individuals affected by domestic violence across the United States. Their number is 1-800-799-7233.
