Who was Christopher Minor Greenville SC, Murderer of Mariellen Bessent and Kim Thrift?

Christopher Minor is a Greenville, SC man who committed suicide after murdering estranged wife, Mariellen Bessent Minor and her friend Kim Thrift.

Reports on Saturday revealed that a double homicide had occurred at a Mauldin residence.

Two women were found to have been murdered at the Arbors Brookfield Apartments, identified as 52-year-old Kim Melissa Thrift of Greenville and 41-year-old Mariellen Bessent Minor, of Greenville, SC.

Police later named Christoper Minor of Mauldin, SC, as the suspect and started a manhunt for him.

Who was Christopher Minor Greenville SC?

christopher minor of mauldin, sc murdered mariellen bessent and kim thrift

By early Sunday morning, authorities had found Christopher Minor, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound by Lake Thurmond.

Christopher had been married to Mariellen Minor but had separated. Thrift was simply Minor’s unfortunate friend who was with her when her husband decided to commit murder.

The shooting

The Mauldin Police Department received a 911 call around 6 p.m. reporting gunshots coming from the parking lot of the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments on Saturday.

Police, Mauldin Fire and Greenville County EMS, along with investigators from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, responded to the apartment complex on East Butler Road around 6 p.m.

“Upon our arrival, uniform patrol found two what appeared to be deceased females on the scene,” said Mauldin Police Captain Tab Clardy.

“Investigation potentially appears to be domestic in nature.”

One woman was identified as 52-year-old Kim Melissa Thrift of Greenville. The other woman was identified as 41-year-old Mariellen Bessent Minor, of Greenville.

Mariellen Minor and Kim Thrift were at Christopher Minor’s apartment complex to pick up children that the couple shared when a fight ensued, leading to the shooting.

Chief of Police for Mauldin PD, George Miller, stated in an interview that Christopher and Mariellen were the parents of two children.

Miller stated that the two children were on scene of the incident but he could not confirm if they witnessed the shooting.

After the shooting, Christopher Minor left the scene by 10.pm Saturday, had been declared the primary suspect in the double homicide.

Authorities contacted family members of the children who are now taking care of them.

The search & discovery

After their investigations, authorities obtained arrest warrants for Christopher Minor, 50, of Mauldin SC, on two counts of murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a violent act.

Mauldin PD released a statement announcing the search.

🚨 Mauldin Police Department Searching for Suspect in Double Murder 🚨

“The Mauldin Police Department is searching for 50-year-old Christopher Minor of Mauldin in connection with a double homicide at the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments on Saturday evening.

“Mauldin Police were called to the Arbors at approximately 6 p.m. after receiving reports of shots fired. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found two women deceased.

“After conducting an investigation, officers obtained warrants for Minor’s arrest on two counts of murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in the commission of a violent act. The incident was believed to be domestic in nature.

“Minor was last seen driving a white Cadillac with South Carolina plate 297 AFW. He is a white male, 5’11” and 195 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair.

“Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Mauldin Police Department at 864-289-8900 (option 5). Minor is considered to be armed and dangerous and should not be approach,”

Mauldin PD received a notification from McCormick County Sheriff’s Office just before 10:15 a.m. on Sunday stating that Christopher’s vehicle was found unoccupied by park rangers at Bakers Creek State Park.

After looking around the area, Christopher was found by a lake with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Journalist Cody Alcorn reported that a woman found his vehicle inside a creek and notified authorities.

He wrote: ” I can now confirm Christopher Minor’s Cadillac SUV and body were found this morning near the South Carolina, Georgia state line.

“A woman found his vehicle inside the Baker Creek State Park in McCormick, South Carolina. This is about 80 miles from where the double homicide happened in Mauldin, South Carolina on Saturday.

“His body was found outside his SUV. Minor is accused of killing two women, one of whom has been identified as Kim Melissa Thrift. The women were shot at the Arbors at Brookfield Apartments.

“The women were not related, but just very good friends. Kim was helping her good friend during challenging times when this senseless tragedy unfolded,”

Who were Mariellen Bessent Minor and Kim Melissa Thrift, Women Murdered by Christopher Minor Greenville SC?

Mariellen Bessent Minor, Christopher Minor’s ex-wife, was a realtor located in Greenville SC.

According to LinkedIn, she graduated Clemson University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and International Trade.

She worked with Berkshire Hathaway HomesServices C. Dan Joyner.

Marrielen Bessent Minor had two kids with her estranged husband, Christopher Minor of Mauldin, SC, a Greenville Metro area suburb.

Her LinkedIn bio reads: “I am a proud South Carolina native, and I ADORE the upstate! I am originally from North Myrtle Beach, where fun in the sun, beach music, and shag dancing reign supreme.

“And, while I will always be a beach girl in my heart, Greenville is the place I have called home since 2012. Like many beach natives, my career began in the service and hospitality industries.

“Over the past 10 years, however, I have been a top sales producer in a variety of industries including telecom, advertising, and logistics.

“My success in sales has never been about simply selling a product or service to customers. It’s all about doing the right thing for my CLIENT! I connect with customers on a personal level, creating REAL and MEANINGFUL relationships to provide tailormade solutions.

“There is nothing more satisfying to me than knowing my clients feel heard and that I am providing them with the ultimate experience in service and care,”

According to Yahoo news, Bessent’s father was co-owner of a North Myrtle Beach night club and widely credited with helping to establish the shag being named as South Carolina’s state dance.

Harold Bessent died in 2015 at the age of 82. His obituary lists Mariellen and her husband as survivors.

Kim Melissa Thrift, also of Greenville SC, was with her friend Mariellen when her estranged husband Christopher Minor murdered the both of them.

She was a realtor as well with the same agency as Mariellen and they were said to be inseparable friends.

Kim Thrift of Greenville SC graduated from Denbigh High School and South Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management.

Kim was married to Matthew Thrift and they had two daughters.

Greenville

Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States.

With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the 6th-most populous city in the state.

Greenville is located approximately halfway between Atlanta, Georgia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, along Interstate 85.

Its metropolitan area also includes Interstates 185 and 385. Greenville is the anchor city of the Upstate, a combined statistical area with an estimated population of 1,590,636 in 2023.

Greenville was the fourth fastest-growing city in the United States between 2015 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Greenville is the center of Upstate South Carolina, creating one of the largest urban centers in the Deep South.

Numerous large companies are located within the city, such as Michelin, Prisma Health, Bon Secours, and Duke Energy.

Greenville County Schools is another large employer and is the largest school district in South Carolina. The city continues to expand rapidly into the 2020s as is evident from rapid population, economic, and developmental growth.

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