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South Carolina bartender charged with manslaughter in alleged fatal bar shove
Fox News • • nation
Key Points:
- Mary Lopez Hunt, 68, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and assault after allegedly pushing Joyce Tomlinson, 62, down stairs at a South Carolina bar, resulting in Tomlinson's fatal injuries.
- The incident occurred on October 3, 2025, at Coot’s Bar & Grill on Edisto Island, where Tomlinson was celebrating her birthday with her longtime friend Ruth Peterson.
- Witnesses say Tomlinson was pushed head-first onto a concrete slab, not simply falling down the stairs, and she died over three weeks later in the hospital.
- Hunt claimed Tomlinson was belligerent and fell on her own, but authorities found Tomlinson unconscious at the bottom of the stairs; Hunt’s bond was revoked after initially being set at $100,000.
- Tomlinson was remembered by friends and family as a loving mother and trustworthy friend, with the community still grappling with how the celebration turned tragic.
