In the summer of 2018, the community of Bennettsville, South Carolina, was shaken by the violent death of one of its own. Lewis Bobe Jack Zimmerman, a 39-year-old Black or African American male, was fatally shot on the night of July 21st. The incident unfolded on Fletcher Street, where Zimmerman was discovered with gunshot wounds that would ultimately prove to be fatal.
The Marlboro County Coroner's office confirmed his passing and arranged for an autopsy to be conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to determine the precise cause of death.
The investigation into Zimmerman's death was swift and intensive. Law enforcement officials quickly identified a suspect in the case, a man named Dupri Shimir Grady. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and a manhunt was initiated. The efforts of the Bennettsville Police Department, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, paid off quickly. Just two days after the shooting, on July 23, 2018, Grady was located and apprehended in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a considerable distance from the scene of the crime.
Following his capture, Dupri Shimir Grady was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The legal process to extradite him from Pennsylvania back to South Carolina to face these charges began immediately. The quick arrest brought a sense of relief to the Bennettsville community, though it did little to ease the pain of those who knew and loved Lewis Zimmerman. The case against Grady was a significant step towards achieving justice for Zimmerman and his grieving family and friends.
