It appears that the allegedly accidental drowning of a quadriplegic veteran may have actually been a suicide. At least his family thinks so.
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New evidence has emerged that may point towards the death of Chris Skinner being purposeful. Originally, it was thought that the quadriplegic man had driven his motorized wheelchair into the pool by accident. However, evidence is emerging that suggests he may have taken his own life.
Skinner's sister, Tamra McDermott, said, "It would be fair to say that the coroner has reopened the case because there's been evidence come forward that it could potentially not be an accident."
Footage from the event has two contrasting reports. The first account, given by Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard states that, "He appears to have gotten too close to the pool edge causing the wheel to slip and he fell into the pool."
However, the police report states that he "stops at a curve in the pool and then suddenly moves quickly forward and goes into the water."
The two reports suggest two different possibilities, with the first making the drowning look like an accident and the second seeming much more intentional. However, what further suggests suicide is the Quadriplegic veteran's wife's alleged behavior.
Wheelchair-Bound Veteran's Wife May Have Been Unfaithful
It has been discovered that Skinner had confronted paster John-Paul Miller, 44, before his death, according to Miller's ex-wife Alison Williams. He had allegedly demanded he end an affair with his wife.
Incidentally, the pastor's second wife, Mica Miller, also committed suicide in 2024, a few years after Skinner's death.
Williams also claims he was having an affair with Skinner's widow. In her affidavit claiming custody of her children, she revealed the claim. "When I learned (John-Paul) was exposing our children to yet another one of his adulterous affairs, I confronted JP and Suzie (Miller's Widow) and told them not to let it happen again."
Meanwhile, Skinner's sister said, "Chris definitely voiced that he did not like the pastor of that church and he did stop going to church there. He was in some emotional pain, and he was having a hard time... he was pulling away and distancing himself."
Now, the alleged suicide of the quadriplegic veteran is being investigated. It is being considered that the drowning may have been intentional. It is suspected that he possibly took his own life due to this family drama. But it's clear that whether accident or suicide, Skinner's death wasn't murder as some more outlandish theories seem to suggest. Footage from his incident shows that there was nobody else by the pool. Whether it was intentional or accidental is under investigation.
