Crime & Public Safety
Loris murder conviction: man sentenced to life for 2024 death
A Horry County jury convicted Kenyarta Trayeli Smith in the Sept. 17, 2024 death of a woman inside her Loris home; a judge has sentenced Smith to life in prison with no eligibility for parole or supervised release. The sentence followed a felony verdict for murder and a conviction for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Horry County police found the victim in her bedroom with a gunshot wound to the back of her head and two additional gunshot wounds to her torso. Investigators recovered multiple shell casings in the bedroom that were later linked to a firearm owned by Smith. The victim’s cellphone records showed she attempted to contact Horry County 911 moments before her death, and the victim’s daughter, who was home at the time, called 911 after hearing three gunshots.
Prosecutors say Smith left the residence and was located in a field near Neil Branch Road, less than a mile from the home; officers found the firearm used in the shooting a short distance from where he was taken into custody. The solicitor’s office reports Smith admitted to shooting the victim but claimed he acted in self-defense; the jury rejected that claim and also declined the lesser manslaughter charge.
The 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case; Circuit Court Judge B. Alex Hyman imposed the life sentence. Assistant Solicitor Anthony DiChiara and Senior Assistant Solicitor Seth Oskin were identified as the prosecutors handling the trial. Current case status: Smith is serving a life sentence without parole.
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