In the early hours of a Monday in Columbia, South Carolina, the life of 41-year-old Delon Knack Summersett was tragically cut short. On November 25, 2019, Columbia Police responded to a 911 call at a residence on Clark Street around 12:30 a.m. Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of a man, later identified as Summersett, lying on the floor with visible gunshot wounds. The Richland County Coroner's Office confirmed through an autopsy that Summersett died from gunshot wounds to the torso.
Investigators at the scene recovered ballistic evidence and began to seek out potential surveillance footage from the area that might have captured images of those responsible.
The investigation into the male victim's death led authorities to identify Christopher Cravets as a primary suspect. Evidence from the crime scene played a crucial role in his identification. A fresh bloodstain found near the point of entry, a rear bedroom window, was analyzed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. DNA analysis confirmed the blood belonged to Cravets. With this key piece of evidence, law enforcement tracked Cravets to Conyers, Georgia, where he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service on December 27, 2019. Following his arrest, Cravets confessed to his involvement in the burglary to Columbia Police Department investigators and, in a subsequent statement, admitted to being the shooter.
Testimony during the trial revealed that Cravets, along with two other individuals, broke into Summersett's home with the intention of robbing him. Summersett, who had been asleep on his couch, was awakened by the intruders. A struggle ensued, during which Summersett was shot multiple times. A neighbor's home security camera captured the perpetrators fleeing the scene after the fatal encounter.
In August 2024, a Richland County jury convicted Christopher Cravets, then 28, of Burglary 1st Degree, Attempted Armed Robbery, and Conspiracy in connection with the death of Delon Knack Summersett. Following his conviction, a judge sentenced Cravets to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Information regarding the other two individuals involved in the home invasion has not been publicly released.
