FOLLOWING UP ON A COUPLE OF STORIES WE BROUGHT YOU YESTERDAY. A MAN IN HIS MID-70’S, WHO’S BEEN LIVING QUIETLY IN BEAUFORT SINCE THE TIME OF RONALD REAGAN’S PRESIDENCY IS NOW BEHIND BARS FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING A BURTON WOMAN 38 YEARS AGO. THANKS TO ENHANCED D-N-A SCIENCE, 76-YEAR-OLD CORTEZ SABINO LAKE HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF MARGIT SCHULLER IN 1987, WHEN SHE WAS 34 AND HE WAS 38. THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE BELIEVES LAKE SHOT SCHULLER WHILE SHE WAS DOING LAUNDRY AT THE PALMETTO APARTMENTS IN BURTON, AND THINK SEXUAL ASSAULT WAS THE MOTIVE. BUT LAKE HAD A MINIMAL CRIMINAL HISTORY AND WAS NOT A SUSPECT IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE INVESTIGATION. HE WAS STATIONED AT PARRIS ISLAND AT THE TIME, WORKING IN A DENTAL CLINIC AND LATER WORKED AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AS A THERAPIST UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT, CURRENTLY LIVING IN THE SHELL POINT PARK AREA. THE MURDER WEAPON WAS FOUND TWO YEARS LATER, BUT STILL NOTHING POINTED TO LAKE AS A POSSIBLE SUSPECT. IN 2019, A D-N-A SAMPLE LED TO A 3-D COMPOSITE SKETCH OF THE POSSIBLE KILLER, BELIEVED TO BE LAKE. THIS SPRING, D-N-A WAS AGAIN COLLECTED THAT MATCHED AN EARLIER SAMPLE. THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WOULD STILL LOVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE MURDER. AND THERE ARE STILL MORE THAN 30 UNSOLVED COLD CASES IN THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST 50-PLUS YEARS.
WILLIE’S BAR AND GRILL IS NO MORE, ITS LIQUOR LICENSE SUSPENDED AND REPUTATION SULLIED BY THAT MASS MURDER LAST MONTH. AS WE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY, OWNER WILLIE TURRAL SAYS HE NOW WANTS TO TURN THE SPACE INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER CALLED SHEDWORKS, AN ACRONYM FOR SAINT HELENA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. HE’D LIKE THE OLD BAR TO BECOME A DIGITAL CORRIDOR, PROVIDING RESOURCES AND BUSINESS INCUBATION SERVICES, BUT EXPRESSES CONCERN THAT THERE WILL STILL BE POCKETS OF CHAOS ON THE ISLAND, SAYING THE SHOOTINGS WILL MOVE FROM HIS PARKIGN LOT TO NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE PARTIES.
OF ALL OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND’S ANNUAL EVENTS, MAYBE THE MOST UNIQUE IS THE HOLIDAY LANTERN PARADE, COMING UP SATURDAY AROUND SUNSET DOWN THE BEACH FROM NORTH OF COLIGNY SOUTH. THOUSANDS COME TO WATCH BUT YOU CAN ONLY PARTICIPATE IF YOU HAVE A LANTERN, WHICH FOLKS HAVE BEEN MAKING FOR MONTHS, IN THE FORMS OF DIFFERENT BIRDS, DRAGONS, FISH AND EVEN SEA TURTLES. YOU CAN STILL LEARN TO MAKE YOUR OWN THROUGH WORKSHOPS YOU CAN FIND AT CULTUREHHI.ORG. THERE’LL BE FOOD TRUCKS AND LIVE MUSIC. PARKING IS USUALLY THE BIGGEST ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE LOTS NEARBY AND A SHUTTLE WILL RUN FROM THE U-S-C-B HOSPITALITY CAMPUS.