14-year-old found shot dead on South Carolina road, cops say. Teens among 4 charged
A 14-year-old was found shot several times on a South Carolina road — and now teens are among the four people charged in her death, officials said.
A driver was traveling to breakfast early May 12 when he discovered someone lying unconscious in the town of Ridgeville. First responders were called to the intersection roughly 35 miles northwest of Charleston and found the girl was “beyond any help,” according to the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office.
The 14-year-old was identified as Mariyah Ezell of Ridgeville. She had been shot multiple times in the upper body, officials wrote in an incident report.
In the days that followed the shooting, deputies said they were flooded with tips and sorted through “mounds of evidence.” Then on May 14, the sheriff’s office announced four people faced charges in the case.
Drayton Tarvarus Smalls — an 18-year-old Summerville resident — and Sabin Alexander Buck — a 19-year-old North Charleston resident — were arrested and charged with murder, online records show. Deputies didn’t list attorney information for them in a news release.
Also charged in Mariyah’s death were a 16-year-old and 17-year-old. Though officials said the oldest was charged as an adult, McClatchy News isn’t sharing a name due to the suspect’s age.
“Detectives learned there were previous incidents among the individuals prior to the shooting,” deputies wrote. “They also determined the act was a concerted effort on the part of the individuals charged.”
This story was originally published May 15, 2023 at 8:29 AM with the headline "14-year-old found shot dead on South Carolina road, cops say. Teens among 4 charged."
