In the late spring of 2022, the community of Abbeville, South Carolina, was unsettled by the violent deaths of two young men in the same apartment complex on the same day. The tragic events began to unfold just after midnight on Tuesday, May 24th, when law enforcement responded to a call of a shooting at the Oakland Apartments. There, in a breezeway, they discovered the body of 26-year-old Jahvious Devonta Strong-Smith, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced
dead at the scene.
Later that same day, around 12:45 PM, the investigation took a grim turn when a second victim was found in the woods near the apartment complex. This individual was identified as 30-year-old Henry Antonio 'Peck' Dawson, Jr., a resident of the apartments. An autopsy would later confirm that he, too, had died from a single gunshot wound to his upper torso. Dawson, a 2011 graduate of Abbeville High School and a father, was a beloved member of the community, known for his warm personality and dedication to his family.
The proximity and timing of the two deaths prompted a significant law enforcement response, with the Abbeville Police Department, the Abbeville County Sheriff's Office, the Abbeville County Coroner's Office, and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division all launching a joint investigation into the homicides. Despite the extensive inquiry into the deaths of Henry Dawson and Jahvious Devonta Strong-Smith, authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the case. The relationship between the two men, if any, remains unclear to the public. The investigation into the double homicide that claimed the lives of two of its residents continues to be an open and ongoing matter for the community of Abbeville.
