On a late Thursday night in Lancaster, South Carolina, Harnish Patel, a 43-year-old man of Indian origin, closed up his popular Speedee Mart convenience store at 11:24 p.m. on March 2, 2017. He was a well-regarded member of the community, known for his kindness and for helping those in need, including providing food to customers who couldn't afford to pay.
Just minutes after locking up, he drove his silver minivan the short distance to his home on Craig Manor Road, where his wife and elementary-school-aged child were.
Shortly after he arrived home, neighbors were startled by the sounds of screaming and gunshots, prompting calls to 911 at 11:33 p.m. When sheriff's deputies arrived, they discovered Patel's body in his front yard, just feet from his house. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators found two shell casings nearby, but a police dog was unable to pick up a scent to track the assailant. In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials stated they did not believe the killing was racially motivated, even though it followed a recent string of violent attacks against Indian men in the United States.
Months later, the investigation led to the arrests of three men in June 2017. Jaquinton Tradell Blair, 23, LaJames Arteian Ross, 22, and Richard Stewart, 42, were taken into custody. While none were immediately charged with murder, they faced charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and, for Stewart, accessory before the fact of attempted armed robbery. Arrest warrants revealed a chilling aspect of the crime, suggesting the suspects had conspired to 'smash an Indian.' The documents indicated the men believed Patel carried a gun and that they would need to be armed to rob him. Stewart was accused of consulting with the others, providing ammunition, and giving them information for the robbery. This development was the first official indication that Patel's murder may have been a hate crime.
