In the late hours of a November night in Beaufort, South Carolina, the life of 20-year-old Ethan Thomas Bosworth was tragically cut short. On November 22, 2019, Bosworth, a Beaufort native, was shot and killed while sitting in his car on Waddell Road. The incident, which occurred around 10:15 p.m., ended with Bosworth's Ford Mustang crashing into a tree after he was shot. He was discovered lying near his vehicle and was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy later revealed that he had been shot three times.
The investigation into the death of the young man, described by a friend as an 'old soul' with a love for classic cars and music, quickly identified a suspect. Through an examination of Bosworth's cellphone, which revealed Snapchat messages and phone calls with an individual named 'Cam Cam,' authorities were led to Cameron Chan'ou Kim, then 18, of Lady's Island. The final call between the two occurred just two minutes before the shooting was reported to 911. Kim was arrested in early December 2019 following a thorough investigation that included interviews with witnesses, friends, and associates of both Bosworth and Kim.
The motive behind the senseless act of violence was determined to be jealousy. Prosecutors argued that Kim believed Bosworth was a 'romantic rival' for his girlfriend's affections. It was stated that Kim was eager to prove his 'street cred' and that his unfounded belief about his girlfriend and Bosworth was the catalyst for the murder. On the night of the shooting, Kim, who had been drinking and smoking marijuana, arranged to meet with Bosworth. When Bosworth arrived, Kim fired three shots through the passenger-side window of the Mustang.
In October 2021, a Beaufort County jury found Cameron Kim, then 20, guilty of the murder of Ethan Bosworth. Following the verdict, Kim was sentenced to 45 years in prison. The prosecution presented a case that included testimony from 22 witnesses and evidence from Bosworth's phone, which was instrumental in identifying Kim as the perpetrator. It was also revealed that Kim had boasted to friends about the killing after the fact.
