In the early morning hours of September 17, 2019, the life of 40-year-old Sharonda Shontay Sims, an African-American woman from Newberry, South Carolina, was tragically cut short. Residents on Drayton Street were startled by the sound of several gunshots. When they ventured outside to investigate, they made a grim discovery: the body of a woman lying in a ditch. Law enforcement and emergency services were called to the scene, where they found Sims unresponsive.
She was pronounced dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
An autopsy later confirmed that Sharonda Sims died from multiple gunshot wounds, and her death was officially ruled a homicide. Investigators from the Newberry County Sheriff's Office, along with the Newberry Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, began the arduous task of piecing together the events that led to her death. At the time of the incident, Sims was wearing a black shirt, blue jean shorts, tennis shoes, and a red scarf around her hair. Several shell casings were recovered from the area, a key piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.
Despite the passage of time, the murder of Sharonda Sims remains unsolved. As recently as September 2022, three years after her death, law enforcement was still actively investigating the case and appealing to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough. A security camera near the scene captured a portion of the shooting as Sims was walking home, which was only a few blocks away. However, due to the distance and poor lighting, only the muzzle flash of the gun was visible, making it difficult to identify any suspects from the footage.
The Newberry County Sheriff's Office has continued to implore the community for assistance, urging anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. They have also requested that residents in the vicinity of the crime scene share any surveillance footage that might have captured activity in the area at the time of the shooting. To date, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly named in connection with the homicide of Sharonda Sims, leaving her family and community still searching for answers and justice.
