A little over three months ago, Stanley Weber was trying to revive the lifeless body of his brother, whom he found shot on some land where his brothers kept old cars.

On Friday, the North man returned to that property only to find two people stealing from it, deputies say. They say he shot one and, on Saturday, he was in jail, held on a charge of assault and battery with intent to kill.

The warrant against him alleges that 30-year-old Weber, “did intentionally with total disregard for human life, fire a .22-caliber rifle at the victim (Justin Kemmerlin), striking him in the mouth area.”

But Weber’s family says officials should understand that he was probably frightened when he faced the two.

“Stanley was scared himself. He doesn’t know if they’ve got guns themselves,” said Jean Weber, his sister. “I feel Stanley defended himself.”

And sister Loretta Weber said, “I look at my brother Stanley as a victim. He finds my brother and tries to resurrect him and he finds two people trying to rob him. ... I’m sure he feared for his life. I know I would have.”

Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams said, “I can understand the family feeling that way. I can’t rule on justification.” Williams said the solicitor will have to determine whether the shooting was justified and whether Weber should be charged.

“For the integrity of the investigation, he’s been charged until review by the solicitor,” Williams said.

“It’s too early in the investigation to determine what happened on Friday. In the next few days, we’ll make that determination,” he said.

Justin Kemmerlin and Amanda Kemmerlin, his sister, are each facing charges of third-degree burglary in connection with the incident. Deputies allege the pair were trying to steal gasoline from a backhoe on Weber’s brother’s property.

Justin Kemmerlin, 17, of 128 Clark Road, remains in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the face.

Amanda Kemmerlin, 35, who lives at the same address, was denied bond Saturday by Orangeburg County Magistrate Richard Murray. Bond was also denied for Weber, according to Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Brown.

Both are expected to come before the court for another bond hearing in the future, Brown said.

New details emerged in Friday’s shooting with the release of the Sheriff’s Office report on the incident.

Weber, of 262 Breeze Haven Road, told deputies the incident began when he heard banging coming from his brother’s property at the intersection of Woodhaven Street and Breeze Haven Road near North.

That was the same property where Weber found the body of his brother, William “Billy” Weber, in February. The 47-year-old had been shot in his chest and side. People had been stealing from the property for years and family members have speculated that Billy Weber was shot as he was checking on some old vehicles he and another brother kept there.

No one has been arrested in Billy Weber’s death.

Stanley Weber told deputies that before he went to the property Friday, he picked up a .22-caliber, bolt-action rifle. When he got there, he found the side door to a block home on the property had a hole in it. He went inside and found someone had rummaged through there.

As he left the house, Weber heard banging coming from a behind a locked shed. He walked there, finding a green car and the shed doors open.

He said he observed Justin Kemmerlin sitting on top of a backhoe, attempting to start it.

Weber said he confronted Justin Kemmerlin and, after hearing someone else rummaging in the building, shot him in face area, according to the incident report. He then got the brother and sister to drive him to his home, where he called 911.

Someone who spoke to Stanley Weber after the shooting, but did not want to be identified because of concerns for her safety, said he shot because he thought Justin Kemmerlin was going to shoot him. Williams said no weapons were found on either Kemmerlin, and officials believe they were unarmed.

When deputies arrived, they found Justin Kemmerlin sitting on the ground. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital, while his sister and Weber were taken to the Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center.

For the Weber family, it’s another difficult chapter in a difficult year.

“I feel so bad for Stanley. He’s the one who found my brother dead. That’s got to be hard on someone, finding your brother dead and this,” Loretta Weber said.

The family continues to seek answers in the death of Billy Weber, and is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in his death.

Williams said, “It’s still a hot, ongoing investigation into that death. It’s one of my high-priority cases.” He said new information was brought into his office as late as two weeks ago, but at this point the office does not have enough to bring charges against anyone.

n T&D City Editor Gene Crider can be reached by e-mail at gcrider@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5570. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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