S.C. man accused of chaining woman up faces 3 more murder charges

SPARTANBURG, S.C., Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office said Todd Kohlhepp, a convicted sex offender accused of multiple homicides and of chaining up a woman he allegedly kidnapped, will face three additional murder charges.

Police charged Kohlhepp, 45, with the murders of Charles Carver, Megan Coxie and Johnny Coxie -- whose bodies were unearthed by police earlier this month -- on Monday, according to signed warrants. Kohlhepp now faces seven murder charges out of 12 charges in total, including for kidnapping and weapons possession.

Kohlhepp waived his right to appear in court for a bond hearing on Monday. A new bond will need to be set by a circuit court judge due to the new murder charges, a bond court judge said.

Carver was the boyfriend of Kala Brown, 30, who was found alive earlier this month by police investigating a sex crime tip. She was found chained by the neck and ankles inside a storage container -- having been there for two months.

Kohlhepp was initially charged in the 2003 deaths of Scott Ponder, 30, owner of Superbike Motorsports; Beverly Guy, Ponder's 52-year-old mother and part-time employee; and employees Brian Lucas, 29; and Chris Sherbert, 26.

Kohlhepp previously spent 15 years in prison for kidnapping. Police said Kohlhepp has confessed to killing the seven victims.