In the summer of 2017, the life of 31-year-old George L. Grimes, a White/Caucasian male from Barnwell, South Carolina, was tragically cut short in a dispute that escalated to fatal violence. On July 23rd, the Barnwell County Sheriff's Office received a call that led them to a grim discovery on Fairway Lane. Inside a vehicle, they found Grimes's body, the victim of a fatal shooting.
The investigation into the death of the man quickly uncovered a story of a deal gone wrong.
It was revealed that the incident was rooted in a conflict over counterfeit money that Grimes had allegedly used to purchase drugs from a man named Ricky Lamont Williams the previous night. Witnesses at the scene told authorities that Williams had approached Grimes's vehicle and, without any warning, shot him. The argument over the fake currency had apparently simmered until it boiled over into a deadly confrontation.
Following the shooting, Ricky Lamont Williams fled the scene, sparking a manhunt that crossed state lines. His girlfriend, Teresa Luna, aided him in his attempt to escape. However, law enforcement was able to track him down, and on August 16, 2017, he was apprehended in Tennessee. Williams was then extradited back to Barnwell County to face justice for the death of George Grimes.
In July of 2019, Ricky Lamont Williams stood trial for murder. The prosecution's case was built upon the testimony of witnesses, as the physical evidence was limited to two shell casings and the bullets recovered from the scene. The jury found Williams guilty of murder, and he was subsequently sentenced to serve 41 years in prison. For her role in assisting his flight from the law, Teresa Luna was charged with being an accessory after the fact to a felony.
