In the early morning hours of May 3, 2019, the life of 18-year-old Margaret Danielle Blanding, a Black female, was tragically cut short at the Fairview Gardens Apartments on Williamston Road in Anderson, South Carolina. Blanding, who was pregnant at the time, was found shot to death outside one of the apartment buildings. The incident, which occurred around 1:20 a.m., also claimed the life of 23-year-old Ezquiel Estrich, whose body was discovered inside an apartment.
Investigators believed Blanding and Estrich may have been in a relationship. Both victims died at the scene from gunshot wounds, and their deaths were ruled homicides.
Shortly after the shooting, Anderson Police officers who were near the apartment complex noticed a vehicle speeding away from the scene. A high-speed chase ensued, crossing state lines into Hart County, Georgia. The chase ended when the suspect's vehicle began to spark, leading to the surrender and arrest of two men: 21-year-old Brandon Omar Cullins and 31-year-old Demetrius Kentrell Mark.
Brandon Omar Cullins was charged with two counts of murder, death of a child in utero during the commission of a violent crime, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Arrest warrants indicated that Cullins shot Blanding in the upper left chest and Estrich multiple times in the chest and leg. Demetrius Kentrell Mark was charged with accessory after the fact to murder for allegedly helping Cullins dispose of the handgun used in the shootings.
In September 2022, Brandon Omar Cullins pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, death of a child in utero, and a weapons charge. During the emotional court hearing, Cullins stated he had recently learned Blanding might be carrying his child and went to Estrich's apartment with a gun. He claimed he shot Estrich because he felt threatened. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the deaths of Margaret Danielle Blanding, her unborn child, and Ezquiel Estrich.
