In the early hours of July 5, 2022, violence shattered the quiet of a summer night on Bethel Road in Darlington County, South Carolina, ending the life of 31-year-old Steven Stallons. Deputies arriving at the scene discovered two men with gunshot wounds. Stallons was pronounced dead at the scene, his death later ruled a homicide by the coroner. Another man who was shot during the incident survived his injuries.
The shooting was not a singular event; multiple shots were fired at three homes belonging to Stallons's family.
Born in Hartsville, Steven was described by his family as a generous man with a heart of gold who was fearless and deeply loved his children. He was a father to three children, a son, a brother, and a cherished member of his extended family. A mechanic by trade, he was remembered for his protective, loving, and loyal nature.
Within days of the fatal shooting, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of five individuals in connection with the slaying. Three of the adult suspects, identified as Nathan Edward Wallace, Shaquan Ryheen Thomas, and Eereon Alphonso Hickman, faced a string of serious charges including murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy. A fourth adult, Lawrence Previtte, was charged with accessory before and after the fact of a felony. The fifth suspect was a juvenile, whose name was not publicly released due to their age, and faced similar charges to Wallace, Thomas, and Hickman.
As the legal process began to unfold, the Stallons family was left to grieve their profound loss and await justice. Nearly three years after Steven's death, his family has expressed their frustration with the pace of the legal proceedings, noting that the five men charged in his murder have not yet gone to trial. The Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Office has indicated the complexity of the case, involving five defendants, as a contributing factor to the delay. Prosecutors are working with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to complete the analysis of forensic evidence and anticipate setting a trial date by the end of 2025, acknowledging the family's long wait for their day in court. It is considered unlikely that all five defendants will be tried together due to evidentiary rules.
