In the quiet early morning hours of October 25, 2020, Kelli Eileen Curran, a 51-year-old female, was at her home on Walden Circle in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A native of New Jersey, she had relocated to the Carolinas to be closer to her mother. Known by friends and family as a vibrant and loving soul with a great love for animals, Kelli had built a new life for herself, working as a Mental Health Technician at Mission Hospital in Asheville.
She was a proud survivor of domestic violence and was dedicated to the mental health of others.
That sense of peace was shattered by a knock at the door. Two young men claimed to have car trouble and asked for help. Kelli and her friend, Timothy Thompson, allowed the men inside. As Thompson began to look up information on his phone to assist them, one of the men pulled out a gun. The request for help had been a violent ruse. Both Curran and Thompson were shot multiple times. Before succumbing to her injuries, Kelli was able to make a whispered call to 911, asking for help and providing her location and a description of the assailants. When law enforcement arrived, they found both victims with critical gunshot wounds. Kelli was transported to Spartanburg Medical Regional Center, where she died that morning. Thompson fought for his life for two months before he also passed away from his injuries.
The investigation into the double murder, aided by Kelli’s final heroic phone call, soon led the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office to identify suspects. Three men were eventually arrested and charged with two counts of murder, armed robbery, and burglary: Kenyatta Lebby, Tyleek Rayquaun Johnson, and Deandre Fuller. Investigators determined the motive was to steal firearms from the home. The suspects had not only shot the two benevolent strangers but had also called a third accomplice into the home to help them steal a safe and guns.
In the years that followed, the wheels of justice turned for Kelli Curran and Timothy Thompson. In March 2024, Kenyatta Lebby pleaded guilty to his charges and received a 35-year prison sentence. In May 2025, Tyleek Johnson went to trial and a jury found him guilty on all counts, including two counts of murder. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison. The third co-defendant, Deandre Fuller, is still awaiting his trial.
