On a quiet Saturday night in Dale, South Carolina, the life of 38-year-old Karwanna Albany was tragically cut short. On January 6, 2018, deputies responded to a report of shots fired at her home on Albany Drive. Inside, they found Ms. Albany, a Black female, deceased from what a subsequent autopsy would confirm were gunshot wounds. The news of her violent death sent ripples through the small community as investigators began the arduous task of piecing together the events of that fatal
evening.
The investigation into Karwanna Albany's death continued for several weeks. Then, in late March 2018, the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office announced a significant breakthrough in the case. They identified two suspects: Darian 'D' Lakeith Williams and Leonard Estavon Colleton. Warrants were issued for their arrests on charges of murder, conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The Sheriff's Office described both men as being from the Beaufort County area and urged the public to consider them armed and dangerous. The announcement brought a sense of cautious relief to a community anxious for answers.
Within days of being publicly identified as suspects, both Darian Williams and Leonard Colleton turned themselves in to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. Their surrender marked a pivotal moment in the investigation, transitioning the case from a search for suspects to the beginning of legal proceedings. Both men were formally charged in connection with the murder of Karwanna Albany. While the arrests brought a measure of closure to the initial phase of the investigation, the community was left to await the outcome of the criminal justice process to see justice served for the untimely death of Karwanna Albany. Information regarding the subsequent trial, verdict, and any convictions in this case is not available in publicly accessible online records.
