A Myrtle beach shop owner was arrested Thursday morning on marijuana charges.

Myrtle Beach police arrested Gary Finkenbiner, 50, owner of Kilgor Trouts Music & More, on 8th Ave. N. after searching the store with a warrant Thursday morning about 9:30. According to a police report, the officers found a black purse containing 5.9 grams of a green leafy substance that tested positive for THC.

Finkenbiner was arrested in December 2007 after charges resulting from a police sting including making and selling counterfeit DVD movies, and keeping marijuana and drug paraphernalia at the business. During that incident Finkenbiner's computer, software, copiers, all of his disks and blank CDs and drug paraphernalia were confiscated. Trial is still pending on the charge of felony illegal distribution, which could result in five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

Finkenbiner was taken to J. Reuben Long Detention Center Thursday, where he was released on a public recognizance bond Thursday. He was charged with a paraphernalia violation and possession of marijuana.

Lane Holcombe woke up on Friday, fed his dog, Elvis, and went to work at Thee Pawn Shoppe in Atlantic Beach. Before the day ended he was dead, shot to death three days before his 38th birthday.

Horry County police said the 37-year-old was killed in an armed robbery at the pawn shop on U.S. 17 where he was a part owner.

Police are looking for the shooter, who investigators said entered the store between 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Friday.

Police said that some undisclosed items were taken from the store during the robbery and that several cases inside the store had been broken.

Horry County Coroner Robert Edge said two customers found Holcombe behind the counter.

Horry County police spokesman Sgt. Robert Kegler said reports from the county's emergency dispatch center said Holcombe was shot in the head.

Rodney Williford, a childhood friend of Holcombe's, said, "Lane was a true friend. He never met a stranger. He was giving and kind and if he could help you, he would do whatever he could."

Williford said he had known Holcombe his entire life.

Williford fought back tears and shock Friday afternoon as he talked in a telephone interview about his friend, whom he had seen a few weeks earlier, when Holcombe visited his parents, Robert and Barbara Holcombe, in Chester.

"He came over and we talked and went to the movies. We just talked and hung out whenever we could," Williford said.

"My son loved him. Lane was like Santa Claus, always bringing him something whenever he'd come down," he said.

Residents who lived near Thee Pawn Shoppe remembered Holcombe for his generosity as well, saying that the store gave bicycles and toys to neighborhood children.

"They were very, very friendly," said John Sketers, who lives around the corner from the store. "They fit right into the neighborhood."

Williford said the last time he was in Myrtle Beach, he visited Holcombe at the store.

"There was this boy who came in and he talked to him and joked around with him. There were a couple of kids that would hang out at the store. And he said the boy's parents weren't that great, so he tried to get to know him," Williford said. "That was just Lane. He was trying to be a better example for the kid and to be nice to him because he knew he needed it."

Holcombe grew up in Chester, where most of his neighbors knew him as a friendly, good boy.

"He would come over here all the time. He was just such a nice child growing up," said Grace Williford, Rodney Williford's mother, who lives next door to the Holcombes in Chester.

Holcombe attended Winthrop University and sold insurance before he moved to North Myrtle Beach, Rodney Williford said.

"I was there the day before he opened up the shop," Williford said. "He just was always doing his own thing. He had this blond spiky hair that looked like Billy Idol."

He said Holcombe was friends with the co-owner, Jimmy McKenzie, who was at the store Friday afternoon, talking to police. McKenzie declined to comment for this story.

A young boy was outside the store after looking at bicycles inside.

He said he saw a man enter the store around the time of the shooting, then he heard something that sounded like fireworks inside the store.

On Friday as late as 9 p.m. police were still investigating at the crime scene and gathering surveillance tape of the parking lot from other stores in the strip mall.

Horry County police Lt. Bob Carr said there was no surveillance camera inside the pawn shop.

Carola Livingston, a manager at Blockbuster Video in the same strip mall as the pawn shop, said she had never heard of any problems at the store.

"I've never seen anything bad, at least not this bad. ... I'm still shaking. ... It kind of makes you scared. You just never know," she said.

Joyce Lin, who works next door at the China Dragon restaurant, said she did not hear anything during the robbery.

"I'm so sad," Lin said of the fatal shooting.

Police are asking anyone who might have information to call Horry County police at 248-1300, or to leave an anonymous tip, call 915-TIPS (8477).

Staff writer Kurt Knapek contributed to this story. Contact CLAUDIA LAUER at 626-0301

Contact MIKE CHERNEY at 444-1765.

AB shooting suspect sought beyond town limits

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