On a late January morning in 2022, a distress call from 55-year-old Robin Saunders shattered the calm on Saint Helena Island, South Carolina. She reported to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office that a man she knew, Jaquan Sanders, was actively breaking into her residence on Eddings Point Road. The events that followed would leave three people, including Robin, dead in a tragic sequence of violence that unfolded within the walls of her home.
The suspect was identified as the 24-year-old estranged boyfriend of Robin's daughter.
Upon the arrival of the first deputy, the signs of a forced entry were immediately apparent; the front door was damaged, confirming Robin's desperate plea for help. As the officer moved through the home, the grim scene began to reveal itself. Upstairs, the deputy discovered Jaquan Sanders unresponsive in the hallway, a pistol still in his hand. The horror deepened in a nearby bedroom where both Robin and her 22-year-old daughter, Kalila Saunders, were found with gunshot wounds. Another pistol, this one belonging to Kalila, was found on the bed.
Emergency medical services arrived to a scene of carnage. Both Kalila Saunders and Jaquan Sanders were pronounced dead at the residence. Robin Saunders, still clinging to life, was rushed to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, but her injuries proved too severe, and she died shortly after her arrival. The subsequent investigation by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office pieced together the violent encounter, suggesting a desperate act of self-defense.
Investigators concluded that Jaquan Sanders had unlawfully forced his way into the Saunders' home while armed. Evidence strongly indicated that either Robin or Kalila, or possibly both, exchanged gunfire with Sanders in a valiant effort to protect themselves and their home. The authorities recovered two pistols of different calibers from the scene, along with bullets and casings that matched the weapons. The investigation determined that all individuals involved in the shooting had been identified and located at the scene, and there was no threat to the public. As the sole suspect in the home invasion that precipitated the deadly shootout was deceased, no arrests were made in connection with the deaths of Robin and Kalila Saunders.
