On a June evening in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a dispute erupted that tragically cut short the lives of two young men from Fayetteville, North Carolina. The incident, which unfolded on June 10, 2021, claimed the life of 19-year-old Ja'Leel Stephens and 21-year-old Kanon Cook Melvin. The two were fatally shot around 8:15 p.m. near Willoughby Lane, in the vicinity of 44th Avenue and Robert Grissom Parkway.
According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the violence was the tragic
culmination of a drug deal gone wrong. A fight broke out among an unspecified number of individuals, including Stephens and Melvin, which quickly escalated. The altercation led to the firing of several gunshots, and a car was seen fleeing the area shortly after. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered both Stephens and Melvin suffering from severe injuries. Despite the efforts to save them, both men succumbed to their wounds later that evening.
In the days following the double homicide, the Myrtle Beach Police Department announced the arrests of three individuals in connection with the deaths of Stephens and Melvin. The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Brady Gilcrease, 21-year-old Brandon Hembree, and 20-year-old Daniel Hembree. Each of the three men was charged with two counts of murder. The investigation was aided by the use of traffic cameras in the area.
