Georgetown sheriff's office arrest two for murder of andrews man

ANDREWS, SC – The Georgetown Sheriff’s Office has reported two arrests have been made in regards to the February 10th murder of William Butler Jr.

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, deputies responded to a reported home invasion on Gapway Road near Andrews.

“Family members of William Butler Jr. arrived home from church to find their house had been broken into and their loved one brutally killed. Multiple firearms along with jewelry and other items had been stolen,” said Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver. “The victim’s red Chevrolet S-10 was also stolen from the residence. The truck was recovered shortly thereafter in the Big Dam Swamp community of Andrews, burned to the frame.”

Sheriff Weaver said investigators followed up on every lead available and were eventually able to execute search warrants on the residences of two suspects: Joshua Dylan Leday, 24, of Andrews and Phillip Thomas Powers, 49, of Georgetown. Guns and jewelry stolen during the murder, along with other evidence, were recovered from both suspects’ residences.

Both Leday and Powers have been charged with Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, Burglary in the 1st Degree and Grand Larceny. They are being held at Georgetown County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

“Our investigative and forensics units have worked tirelessly for the Butler family in the hopes of solving the senseless murder of William Butler,” Sheriff Weaver said. “Their efforts have paid off in seeking justice for those affected and to those responsible for taking an innocent life.”

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