In the late spring of 2019, the community of Hartsville, South Carolina, was unsettled by a violent crime that cut short the life of one of its residents. On May 24th, 61-year-old Travis Warren Stevenson, a male, was found deceased at his home on North Center Road. The Darlington County Coroner, Todd Hardee, would later confirm that Stevenson had died from a gunshot wound, and his death was officially ruled a homicide.
News of the killing prompted an investigation by the Darlington County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators quickly began to piece together the events that led to Stevenson's death. They assured the public that they did not believe the act was random and that Stevenson and his assailant likely knew one another. This belief was soon substantiated when the Sheriff's Office identified a person of interest. Within days, their attention focused on a 21-year-old Hartsville man named Marqueze Robinson.
On May 29, 2019, a breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of Robinson. Darlington County Sheriff Tony Chavis announced that Robinson had been charged with murder in connection with Travis Warren Stevenson's death. Following his arrest, Robinson was held at the Darlington County jail after a judge denied him bond. Authorities indicated that additional charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continued. The motive for the killing was not immediately released, but the swift arrest brought a sense of relief to a community on edge.
