In the early morning hours of October 5, 2018, a violent home invasion at the Waverly Place Apartments in Columbia, South Carolina, tragically cut short the life of 32-year-old Cherrelle Renee Evans. A Black female, Evans was shot in the upper body during what police described as a targeted burglary attempt. She was rushed to a local hospital and fought for her life for over a week before succumbing to her injuries on October 13, 2018.
The incident began when three individuals, later
identified as Dominic M. McDaniel, Casey Hairston, and Dashawn T. Muldrow, forced their way into Evans's apartment with the intent to rob her. A struggle ensued, during which a male friend of Evans was struck in the head with a firearm. He managed to escape just moments before Evans was shot. Investigators believe that some of the suspects were acquainted with Evans prior to the fatal encounter.
The Columbia Police Department swiftly launched a homicide investigation. Their efforts led to the arrests of Dominic McDaniel, then 45, and Casey Hairston, then 39, later that same month. Both men were charged with murder, attempted murder, burglary, and criminal conspiracy. McDaniel faced additional charges of attempted armed robbery and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, while Hairston also faced an armed robbery charge. The third suspect, 17-year-old Dashawn Muldrow, remained at large.
Justice for Cherrelle Evans saw a significant development when Dominic M. McDaniel was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and is currently serving his time at the Lee Correctional Institution. The search for Dashawn Muldrow continued for four years. He was eventually apprehended in Albany, New York, and in November 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service extradited the now 21-year-old back to South Carolina. Muldrow faces a string of charges, including murder, attempted murder, first-degree burglary, attempted armed robbery, and multiple weapons-related offenses. He is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center awaiting trial.
