3 years after Fort Mill homicide, police charge imprisoned man with murder

Almost three years after LaCharles Govan was killed and left in a Fort Mill church yard, police have charged a man already in prison with Govan's murder.

Eric Neal Patton, 33, serving 18 years in prison for unrelated crimes, was charged Friday with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the June 4, 2015, killing of Govan, police said.

If convicted of murder, Patton could face life in prison without parole.

The body of Govan, 29, was found in the yard of Jerusalem Baptist Church on Steele Street in Fort Mill.

The death shocked his family and neighbors in the Paradise neighborhood of Fort Mill. Many members of Govan's family lived just blocks from where he was found dead.

"The Govan family is relieved that someone is in custody, and the family are looking forward to the suspect being prosecuted," said Jeff Helms, Fort Mill Police Department Chief.

Helms and police Maj. Bryan Zachary declined to release details of what led investigators to Patton.

"We have worked this case from the first day, and never stopped working it," Zachary said.

Patton is serving an 18-year sentence at South Carolina's Perry state prison, after pleading guilty in September to 11 felonies. Patton pleaded guilty to armed robbery, intimidating a witness, drugs, weapons, and other charges related to crimes in Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Lancaster, court records show.

Patton was brought to Fort Mill Friday morning from the prison to be served the murder warrant. It remains unclear when he will appear in court on the murder charge.

Andrew Dys: 803-329-4065, @AndrewDysHerald

This story was originally published June 1, 2018 at 3:06 PM with the headline "3 years after Fort Mill homicide, police charge imprisoned man with murder."