Latest news with #HorryCountyPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Testimony in Meagan Jackson murder trial reveals victim killed by .22 caliber bullet
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Three law enforcement officers testified Wednesday morning in Horry County Circuit Court in the trial of a woman accused of killing her four children's father in 2020. Meagan Jackson was having an affair with Horry County deputy Coroner Christopher Dontell when she allegedly killed Gregory Rice, whose body was found in the Little Pee Dee River on Nov. 8, 2020. Dontell is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in early December to accessory and conspiracy charges and agreeing to testify against Jackson. Jackson, who could be seen crying during witness testimony on Tuesday, is charged with murder and conspiracy. Rice was last seen on Oct. 2, 2020, and it was Jackson who reported him missing three days later. Mark Bonner, who is now retired from the Horry County Police Department, was supervising investigations in the criminal investigations division at the time of Rice's death. He testified that Rice was killed by a .22 caliber bullet and that he became aware that the relationship between Jackson and Rice had become estranged. Reggie Hotaling, a senior investigator with the Marion County Sheriff's Office at the time, said he responded to the Pitts Landing area near the Horry County line about a body in November 2020 and recovered evidence from the body that included a lighter, cigarettes, cinder blocks, tarp straps, a ball cap, sheets, a tarp and zip ties. After an autopsy was completed, Hotaling testified he was given black sneakers, jeans, a sweatshirt and clothing, photos and bullets, all evidence that was later turned over to Horry County authorities after it was determined that they had jurisdiction in the case. Horry County police Sgt. Adam Skellett, who worked in the department's investigations unit, testified about surveillance video obtained from the River's Edge community. Jackson's car is shown leaving River's Edge at about 6:16 p.m. on Oct. 2, followed by Dontell's gray Ford Explorer at 6:20 p.m. He also testified about an interview with Erica Dontell, Chris Dontell's wife, who said she was receiving anonymous messages believed to be from Gregory Rice, saying that Chris Dontell had been sleeping with Jackson. Testimony in the case began on Tuesday as jurors heard from Savannah Rice — Jackson's and Gregory Rice's daughter, who said her parents fought constantly and were not compatible. Savannah Rice also testified about her relationship with her parents, saying that her dad was a flawed man but someone who cared about his kids and the people around him. She also testified that her parents broke up on two different occasions and that she did not hear them say 'I love you' to each other. She also testified that she met Dontell because of her mother's work and spent a lot of time with the family. She testified that she found out about her mother's affair with Dontell by hearing them having sex in another room. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Horry County crime rates on record-breaking pace midway through the year, police chief says
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Driven in part by a violent string of May crimes, Horry County crime rates are on a record-breaking track, Chief Kris Leonhardt told officials Tuesday. Through the first quarter of 2025 that ended March 31, authorities took more than 121 pounds of drugs off the street, seized nearly $138,000 worth of assets, arrested 55 fugitives and took 59 firearms. 'Our officers are out there doing the work, getting things done, identifying folks and getting charges on these cases,' Leonhardt said. Leonhardt said 10 known Blood gang members were also arrested after police broke up a crime ring in the Little River area earlier this year. May was a particularly grueling month with a spate of high-profile incidents including a mass shooting in Little River, disciplinary action against several officers tied to the 2022 road rage death of Scott Spivey and multiple home invasions in the Conway area. 'Thank you for the great work that the Horry County Police Department's doing. You've had a lot of distractions the last couple of months. You've put up with a lot of crap, but I appreciate the great job,' council member Tom Anderson said. 'I think the gross majority of our police are professionals, and I'm on your team and in favor of you.' Public safety administrator Randall Webster said events like Memorial Day weekend, motorcycle rallies and the Myrtle Beach Classic already require a heavier law enforcement presence, but over the past couple of years it's been even more of a challenge. 'The call volume is increasing every year, and the incident types are getting more severe each and every year,' he said. Councilwoman Jenna Dukes said she's concerned about the crime spike and strain it has on law enforcement. 'May is getting bigger and bigger, like you said. And we did have a few incidents that could have went another direction. So as we move into next year, can we just take a deeper look at May and how it's affecting us, both manpower and financially,' she said. 'Honestly, I mean, people are exhausted.' * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. * * * Shelby Martin is a multimedia journalist who joined the News13 team in May 2025. Shelby is from Orange County, California, and graduated in 2023 from California State University, Fullerton. You can read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
30-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Teen arrested in South Carolina party boat shooting that hurt 11 people
Published May 30, 2025 • 1 minute read In this photo provided by the Horry County Police Department, police officers respond to the scene of a shooting on Sunday, May 25, 2025, in Little River, S.C. Photo by Horry County Police Department via AP / AP LITTLE RIVER, S.C. — A 19-year-old has been taken into custody in Illinois and authorities said they plan to charge him in a shooting that hurt 11 people after a party boat cruise in South Carolina. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The shooting happened Sunday night on a dock in Little River after a fight on the boat during the three-hour cruise, Horry County Police said. The suspect is expected to be charged with several counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and then officials will seek to extradite him from Lake County, Illinois, back to South Carolina, police said. The investigation into the shooting continues and more people could be charged, authorities said. Officials said 120 people partied on the boat over the holiday weekend and were leaving on the dock when the shooting happened. Ten people were wounded by gunfire, mostly on the lower parts of their body, and one person was hurt by a falling speaker, authorities said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Investigators think only one person fired shots. They didn't say what started the dispute on the boat and how it led to the shooting on the dock and also would not say what kind of weapon was used. About 5 kilometres down the Intracoastal Waterway, a North Myrtle Beach police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg as he tried to get a boat into the water to respond to the shooting scene, officials said. Little River is about 32 kilometres northeast of Myrtle Beach. The fishing village is known for its docks and marinas where fishing expeditions, casino boats and several dolphin cruises leave daily. Crime Sunshine Girls World Toronto Raptors Olympics
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Little River party-boat shooting suspect arrested in Illinois, Horry County police say
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Authorities in Illinois have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the Memorial Day weekend shooting aboard a chartered party boat in Little River that injured 11 people. Shawon Shamarion Williams, 19, was taken into custody in Lake County, Illinois, according to the Horry County Police Department. He is expected to be charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. North Myrtle Beach police say officer accidentally shot himself in leg during Little River shooting response Williams will be extradited to Horry County, Horry County police spokesperson Mikayla Moskov said late Thursday afternoon in an email news release. Moskov also said other individuals could be charged as the investigation continues. Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt said Tuesday at a news conference that three of the 11 people injured in Sunday's shooting were still hospitalized. He also said it was an isolated incident that happened while the boat was docked in the Watson Avenue area. Little River shooting latest episode of high-profile crimes since March The shooting happened aboard the Hurricane II, which is part of a fleet of charter boats based in Calabash, North Carolina. According to the Associated Press, a flyer online advertised a party Sunday night with a DJ on a three-hour cruise ending at 9 p.m. A woman who answered a phone number on the flyer early Monday said she was distraught seeing her friends get shot but then said she didn't want to talk and hung up. Someone who answered the phone at the company that owns the boat said he didn't want to talk to a reporter. Randy Evans told a Charleston newspaper that his 25-year-old son was shot in the ankle and toe but managed to use his bathing suit as a makeshift tourniquet to help people who were more severely injured. 'The surgery was better than they expected,' Evans told The Post and Courier after his son didn't need pins in his foot or ankle. 'He's going to be OK.' Evans said his son told him that an argument after the boat docked turned ugly. No additional information was immediately available about Thursday's arrest. Police encouraged anyone with information or materials relevant to the investigation to reach out to the department's crime tip line at 843-915-8477 or to email crimetips@ This is a developing story. Count on News13 for updates. Information from the Associated Press was included in this story. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Isolated in nature': Horry County official says no public threat remains in aftermath of Little River charter boat shooting
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — As the investigation into Sunday night's mass shooting on a chartered party boat in Little River continued Wednesday without an arrest, an Horry County Police Department spokesperson reiterated that it was an isolated incident. The shooting aboard the Hurricane II, based in Calabash, North Carolina, occurred while the boat was docked and wounded 11 people, three of whom remained in the hospital on Tuesday, Horry County Police Chief Kris Leonhardt said at a news conference on Tuesday. News13 asked Horry County officials on Wednesday for an update on the search for the shooter, information about evidence and whether the public should be concerned about safety in the wake of the shooting. 'Based upon various incident details pertinent to the investigation, the shooting is believed to be isolated in nature,' Horry County police spokesperson Mikayla Moskov said. 'There is currently no intel to suggest the incident has the potential to expand beyond what already occurred Sunday.' Asked why the police department waited until Tuesday — two days after the incident — to speak about the shooting publicly at a news conference, Moskov said information and updates are being released when possible. Moskov added that the investigation is 'active and ongoing,' and that 'details about evidentiary items in any active and ongoing case would not be available for release.' Leonhardt said Tuesday that the investigation is more complex because many of those on the boat were from out of town. Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard provided News13 with information about the Hurricane II and its captain. The agency was not involved in responding to the initial incident. 'The Coast Guard attended the vessel on Monday and verified there was no resultant damage from the incident that occurred the prior evening,' a spokesman said in an email. 'The vessel had been under the control of a qualified master who holds a U.S. Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential that corresponds to the size and operation of the HURRICANE II.' The Coast Guard spokesman said the number of people on the boat — 120 passengers and four crews, according to Horry County police — was within allowable limits. News13 has reached out to Coast Guard Sector North Carolina for more information about the boat, including its certificate of inspection. Coast Guard Sector Charleston is also conducting a 'comprehensive investigation' into the incident. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the HCPD tip line at 843-915-8477. * * * Dennis Bright is the Digital Executive Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. * * * Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
