In the winter of 2020, the life of 44-year-old Chad Elliot Yarborough was cut tragically short in his hometown of Florence, South Carolina. The violent incident that led to his death unfolded on January 24, 2020, in the parking lot of a convenience store located at 900 S. Cashua Drive. It was there that Yarborough was shot in the neck, sustaining a critical injury that would ultimately prove fatal.
Following the shooting, Yarborough was rushed to McLeod Regional Medical Center for
treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries three days later, on January 27, 2020. His passing launched a homicide investigation by the Florence County Sheriff's Office and the Florence County Coroner's Office, with an autopsy later being performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
The investigation quickly identified a suspect, Kristan Diana Collins, a 34-year-old woman also from Florence. After the shooting, Collins fled the scene, leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit along Interstate 95 before she was finally apprehended. Initially, Collins faced a slate of charges, including attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
With Chad Yarborough's death, the gravity of the charges against Kristan Collins escalated significantly. The attempted murder charge was upgraded to murder, reflecting the fatal outcome of the encounter. In March 2020, the legal proceedings came to a conclusion when Collins pleaded guilty to the charge of voluntary manslaughter for her role in the deadly shooting. She was subsequently sentenced to serve 30 years in prison.
