Crime & Public Safety
Man convicted, sentenced to life for Loris homicide
A man was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of a woman at a residence in Loris, Horry County. Horry County police responded to the home on Alice Drive on Sept. 17, 2024, where officers discovered the victim dead in her bedroom.
According to the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, investigators found the victim with a gunshot wound to the back of her head and two additional gunshot wounds on her torso. Officers collected multiple shell casings from the bedroom that tested back to a weapon linked to the defendant. The victim’s cellphone indicated she attempted to call Horry County 911 moments before she died, the solicitor’s office said.
Authorities located the defendant, Kenyarta Smith, in a field less than a mile from the house near Neil Branch Road; officers arrested him and recovered the gun a short distance from where he was taken into custody. Smith admitted to shooting the victim but asserted self-defense; the solicitor’s office says the defense was unable to confirm that claim at trial.
After a trial, the 15th Circuit found Smith guilty of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The Honorable Circuit Court Judge B. Alex Hyman sentenced Smith to life in prison without eligibility for parole or supervised release, the solicitor’s office reported. Current records show Smith remains sentenced to life following the conviction and sentencing.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.