On February 1, 2017, a violent incident unfolded at a residence on Francis Marion Road in Florence, South Carolina, resulting in the death of 55-year-old Malcolm Kindred Kemmerlin. Known to friends and family as "Kenny," the Florence native was at the home when he was fatally shot. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital, where Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken later confirmed that he succumbed to his injuries.
The shooting sparked an immediate investigation by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, which initially sought the public's assistance in locating a primary suspect considered armed and dangerous.
The investigation identified Michael Joe Smith, who was 40 years old at the time of the crime, as the shooter. Law enforcement officials successfully apprehended Smith, charging him with murder in connection with Kemmerlin's death. Following the legal process, Smith stood trial for the crime in a proceeding that lasted four days. The jury found him guilty of murder, and the presiding judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
While Michael Joe Smith was the central figure prosecuted for the homicide, reports from the time indicated that two other individuals were also initially charged in connection with the murder. The specific identities and the outcomes of the legal proceedings for these additional suspects were not detailed in the available public records surrounding the trial's conclusion. The case was brought to a close with Smith's conviction, providing a legal resolution to the violent act that claimed Kemmerlin's life.
