Bamberg County coroner confirms murder-suicide in Denmark deaths

Bamberg County officials have confirmed that Tarance Chatman, 43, and Stephanie Hicks, 42, died in Denmark in what the coroner’s office described as a murder-suicide. The deaths happened earlier in the week, but investigators have not released a motive, a detailed timeline or the full sequence of events.

For Denmark residents, the key takeaway is that the case is now moving through a formal death investigation, with the Bamberg County Coroner’s Office already publicly identifying the manner of death. The office is led by Shawn Hanks, and its website says it is introducing standardized policies, procedures, job descriptions and official forms as it works to handle death cases with dignity and to support families with empathy and professionalism.

The lack of detail leaves important questions unanswered, including whether the home had any prior law-enforcement history and what led up to the fatal encounter. At this stage, the public record is limited to the official confirmation that two adults are dead and that the coroner’s office has ruled the deaths a murder-suicide.

The Denmark case comes as the town has already been pulled into other violent investigations. A separate shooting on Mimosa Street on June 8 left two people dead and two others injured, and investigators said a subject was in custody and that the incident was believed to be isolated. The Bamberg County coroner had not yet released names in that case at the time, though officials confirmed one victim was 18 and another was 23.

Bamberg County has also seen outside law-enforcement attention before. In a 2024 Denmark fatal shooting case, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division publicly asked for tips and said a cash reward was available for information leading to an arrest. That history underscores why any new violent death in Denmark is likely to draw close scrutiny from county and state investigators as the community waits for more answers.