Parents beg for clues in son's murder investigation | News

SUMTER COUNTY, SC (WIS)-  "I miss my baby."

Nancy and Danny Eppling are in pain. Their 25-year-old son, Kyle, is dead.

"A part of my heart is broken," said Nancy Eppling.

The last time they heard from Kyle was Sunday evening two weeks ago.

"We texted him while he was at his girlfriend's house and we told him be careful coming home," said Nancy. "He said, 'Alright mom, dad.'"

Early the next day, Sumter County deputies say they received a call about gun shots fired at Oakland Plantation Apartments. When they arrived, they found a man near a Dumpster with three gunshot wounds.

That man was Kyle.

"About 1 or 1:30 we got a knock on the front door from the coroner," said Kyle Eppling. "He told us he'd been shot and killed.

Eppling said his reaction was hysteria and disbelief.

"I cried out to God," he said.

The Epplings are devastated. This is the second child they've lost.

The first was born prematurely. Kyle was their second chance at parenthood.

 "We don't even have the prospect of grandchildren now," they said. "The person who took his life destroyed his life and ours."

"He didn't do drugs and he was not in a gang. I know that for a fact because I raised him to believe gangs are a dead end street."

In fact, they say he was doing the opposite: working and going to school full-time.

Now they're asking for your help to find the person who murdered him.

"Why? Why did you do this?"

If you know anything that can help investigators, call Crimestoppers at 1-888-Crime-SC.

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