Warrants: Dillon County elementary school principal was shot in chest at suspect’s home; bond hearing set

DILLON COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) – A bond hearing has been set for a man accused of killing the principal of a Pee Dee elementary school last weekend.

The 4th Circuit Solicitor’s Office confirmed to WMBF News that a hearing for Kyle Church is scheduled for Monday. He’s been charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the death of 54-year-old Wendy Cook.

Dillon County Sheriff Douglas Pernell said deputies were called the evening of August 20 to the 1800 block of Southwind Road in Dillon, where they found a woman dead inside a car.

Dillon County Coroner Donnie Grimsley later identified the victim as Cook, adding that she died of a gunshot wound.

Arrest warrants also state Cook was shot in the chest at Church’s home. The warrants go on to say that law enforcement has video evidence of the incident and that Chruch confessed to killing Cook.

Pernell said that Cook was the principal of Stewart Heights Elementary School. Dillon County School District Four put a memorial on its website on Monday.

He added that Church and Cook were acquaintances.

WMBF News later learned Church was also named in a pending wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a deadly ATV crash in July 2020.

He is being held at the Dillon County Detention Center.

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