On a Tuesday afternoon in November 2017, tragedy struck at the Phoenix Place Apartments in Greenwood, South Carolina, forever altering the lives of those involved. Emyle Markeil McDuffie, a 23-year-old male, was walking through the apartment complex with a friend when a red car with tinted windows pulled up behind them. A man emerged from the vehicle and opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets. McDuffie was struck nine times.
Though rushed to Self Regional Medical Center, he succumbed to his injuries later that same day, November 21, 2017. His friend was also wounded in the attack, sustaining a gunshot to the hip.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to the identification of three suspects. Zantravious Hall, then 24, was apprehended the day after the shooting following a brief police chase that ended in a car crash and a short foot pursuit. Another suspect, 18-year-old Kemad White, turned himself in to authorities two days later. The third individual, 21-year-old Cedrick Elmore Jr., remained at large for a time. All three men were charged with murder.
In October 2018, a Greenwood County jury found Zantravious Hall guilty of murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Hall, identified as a member of the Eastside Gang, was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This stringent sentence was mandated under South Carolina's recidivist statute, as Hall had a prior conviction for assault and battery with intent to kill, which is classified as a 'most serious' offense. His conviction on the new charges triggered the life-without-parole sentence. During his trial, Hall also pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to stop for blue lights, stemming from his attempt to evade police.
