In the late hours of a Friday night in the Socastee area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the life of Jeffrey Phillip Monnett, a 33-year-old male, was irrevocably altered. On November 27, 2020, at approximately 11:30 p.m., a violent encounter unfolded at 317 Fairwood Terrace. During what was later determined to be an attempted robbery, Monnett was shot.
He was rushed to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center for medical intervention.
Despite the efforts of the surgical team, Jeffrey Phillip Monnett succumbed to his injuries in the early morning hours of the following day, around 5:05 a.m. The Horry County Coroner's Office officially classified his death as a homicide, prompting an investigation by the Horry County police. Friends and family remembered him as a man who was always smiling and laughing, possessing a huge heart and a deep adoration for his family.
The investigation into the fatal shooting led to the identification and arrest of Diamantae Currie, a 22-year-old from Marion County, as the shooter. Another individual, identified only as Howard, was also implicated and charged in connection with the incident that led to Monnett's death. The prosecution, led by Assistant Solicitor Seth Oskin, built a case against Currie, highlighting that the shooting occurred during an attempt to rob Monnett.
In November 2022, the legal proceedings reached a conclusion when Diamantae Currie pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. This brought a measure of closure to a case that had left a family and community mourning a tragic and senseless loss.
