In the quiet landscape of Kershaw County, South Carolina, the life of 55-year-old Thomas Keitt Jr. came to a sudden and violent end. On January 15, 2020, his body was discovered by a passerby, left behind his white Cadillac on a remote dirt and gravel lane in Lugoff, near his hometown of Elgin. He had been shot to death in what investigators would soon describe as a planned and targeted act, not a random incident.
The scene itself offered early clues to the authorities; tire tracks suggested another vehicle had been present, and Keitt's wallet and phone were missing.
The investigation into the death of the male victim quickly led law enforcement to two local teenagers who were known to Keitt. Just over a week after the discovery of his body, the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests of 17-year-old Cameron Ezekiel Hyatt and 18-year-old Albertina Hattie Jolera Bennett. Both were charged with murder. The news of their alleged involvement sent ripples of disbelief through the community, with family members and former teachers recalling them as promising students. Investigators believed Hyatt and Bennett were the only individuals involved in the slaying.
The prosecution's case against the teenagers alleged that they had lured Keitt to the secluded location with the intent to kill him. Evidence presented during legal proceedings painted a damning picture. Cellphone records placed Hyatt's phone in the vicinity where Keitt's body was found, and communications from Hyatt to Keitt's phone were registered just hours before the discovery. Further investigation uncovered text messages on Hyatt's phone discussing the disposal of Keitt's phone and wallet, the removal of shell casings from the scene, and getting rid of the murder weapon. A crucial piece of physical evidence was a fingerprint belonging to Hyatt found on Keitt's vehicle.
In March 2024, a Kershaw County jury found Cam'ron Ezekiel Hyatt, then 21, guilty of the murder of Thomas Keitt Jr. He is currently awaiting sentencing. The murder charge against Albertina Hattie Jolera Bennett is still pending. She was released on bond in August 2021 and has since faced additional unrelated charges. The motive for the brutal killing has not been publicly disclosed, leaving a lingering question behind a solved, yet unsettling, case.
