LaTroy Sampson
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A Winnsboro man wanted for the July 4 murder of 34-year-old Jennifer Monique Stone was captured last week in upstate New York, near the shores of Lake Ontario.
Freddie Lorick, Chief of Public Safety, said LaTroy Dante Sampson, 36, was arrested in Rochester, N.Y. just before 3 a.m. on July 25. Rochester police officers were responding to a report of a suspicious person in a local neighborhood that morning when they came upon Sampson, whom they noticed was carrying a handgun tucked into the waistband of his pants. Upon questioning, Sampson reportedly told officers he was wanted in S.C. for murder and officers detained him without incident. Lorick said his department is currently going through the extradition process to have Sampson returned to Fairfield County, which may take several weeks. It was not known how Sampson came to be in Rochester, Lorick said, or what Sampson’s connections to the area are. Lorick said Sampson had been in the area for about a week before his arrest.
Back on July 4, Stone’s son, 18-year-old Matthew Stone, was awakened in the early morning hours by the sounds of an altercation taking place outside his home at 417 S. Garden St. Matthew came out of the house and was met by Sampson coming from around the side of the home. Sampson reportedly grabbed Matthew by the hair and tried to physically pull him back around to the side of the house, but Matthew slipped away and Sampson fled on foot. A short time later, Matthew ventured around to the south side of the house and discovered the body of his mother. Officers responded to the disturbance at around 3:50 a.m. An EMS crew arrived a short time later, but was unable to revive Stone, who had been strangled to death. Sampson was an acquaintance of the victim and had been living at the home at least part-time, Lorick said.
