In the spring of 2018, the life of 31-year-old Jerry Lamar Johnson, a Black male from Sumter, South Carolina, was tragically cut short. Concern for his well-being arose on April 25, 2018, when he failed to appear at a family gathering, an act that was entirely out of character for the young father. The mystery of his whereabouts would take a grim turn when a fisherman discovered his body in the waters of Lake Marion.
An investigation was immediately launched, and it was soon determined that Johnson had been the victim of a brutal homicide.
The subsequent investigation into Johnson's death unraveled a dark and convoluted story of a robbery gone wrong. It was revealed that Johnson, along with Stephen Stinnette and another man named Andrew Scurry, had been involved in the robbery of a trailer. During the commission of the crime, Johnson reportedly walked away to get a better signal on his cellphone. This seemingly innocuous act enraged Stinnette, leading to a heated argument that culminated in Stinnette shooting Johnson eight times.
In an attempt to conceal the heinous crime, a desperate and gruesome effort was made to dispose of Johnson's body. With the help of Scurry and others, Stinnette initially buried Johnson's remains in a secluded wooded area. However, consumed by the fear that Scurry might expose his guilt, Stinnette made the decision to move the body. He enlisted the help of Anthony Dustin Dill and his girlfriend to exhume Johnson's remains and rebury them in a different location. Ultimately, their efforts to hide the crime led them to dump Johnson's body into Lake Marion.
The thorough investigation by law enforcement eventually led to the apprehension of several individuals in connection with the murder. Stephen Stinnette was arrested and charged with the murder of Jerry Lamar Johnson. He later pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with additional time for a prison break and a weapons charge. Several others, including Anthony Dustin Dill, Andrew Scurry, and even Stinnette's own mother, were charged with accessory after the fact to murder for their roles in attempting to cover up the crime.
