In the quiet, rural landscape of Pineville, South Carolina, a grim discovery was made on January 20, 2020. In a car left abandoned in a field off of Crawl Hill Drive, authorities found the bodies of three young men, one of whom was 22-year-old Desmond Williams. Williams, along with Martice Green, 23, and Malik Gibbs, 19, had all been fatally shot in what was quickly determined to be a triple homicide.
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office began an intensive investigation into the deaths, piecing together the events that led to such a tragic end for the three friends.
The investigation revealed that the three men had been in the car with another individual, Jay Quan Washington, who was considered a friend. After spending hours together, Washington waited until they were on a remote gravel road in the Pineville area before he opened fire, killing Green and Williams as they sat in the moving vehicle. This caused the driver, Gibbs, to veer off the road into the field. Gibbs attempted to flee on foot, but Washington chased him down and shot him three times before putting his body back in the car with the others.
Within days of the discovery, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Jay Quan Washington, then 20 years old, in connection with the murders. He was charged with three counts of murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. Investigators also identified a second person of interest, Donelle Lamar McKelvey, who was wanted in connection with the shooting.
In May of 2025, Jay Quan Washington was found guilty by a Berkeley County jury for the murders of Desmond Williams, Martice Green, and Malik Gibbs. Evidence presented at trial indicated that Washington, a suspected gang member, had intentionally planned the killings. Following the verdict, he was sentenced to life in prison.
