In the quiet community of Loris, South Carolina, the holiday season of 2020 was shattered by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of a mother and her son. On Christmas Eve, 19-year-old Kevonta Hills, a male, and his 43-year-old mother, Marelene Haywood, were found shot to death in their home on Papas Bay Road. The discovery was made after police were called to the residence for a welfare check.
An investigation revealed they had been killed sometime between the late hours of December 23rd and the early morning of December 24th.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led authorities to a person of interest, 44-year-old Antonio Long, who was identified as Marelene Haywood's live-in boyfriend. The motive for the killings appeared to stem from a confrontation that occurred after Long allegedly made inappropriate advances towards Haywood's 17-year-old daughter. When the teenager confided in her brother, Kevonta, he confronted Long, leading to a fatal struggle in which both he and his mother were killed.
Following the murders, Long fled the scene, taking the 17-year-old girl with him. He drove her across the state line after sexually assaulting her at gunpoint. A manhunt ensued, and Long was apprehended a few days later. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder, kidnapping, and first-degree criminal sexual assault. He was held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center without the possibility of bond.
In August 2023, Antonio Long, then 47, faced trial for his crimes. A jury found him guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, and voluntary manslaughter in the death of Kevonta Hills. He was, however, acquitted of the murder of Marelene Haywood. The judge handed down a severe sentence, ordering Long to serve 30 years in prison for each of the three convictions, with the sentences to run consecutively, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The case, described by the prosecutor as one of the most horrific in a 30-year career, brought a measure of justice to the surviving victim and the memory of Kevonta Hills and his mother.
