In the early hours of a Monday morning in Walterboro, South Carolina, the life of 23-year-old Ramone Varner was brought to a violent and tragic end. On April 18, 2016, while he and his girlfriend were asleep in their Lewis Street home, a loud knocking at the door shattered the quiet of the night. This was immediately followed by the sound of gunshots piercing the door, and then the splintering of wood as at least one unknown individual kicked it in.
What ensued was a chaotic and
terrifying exchange of gunfire within the once-peaceful residence. Varner's girlfriend later recounted to investigators that several people entered their home, and a gunfight erupted between Varner and the intruders. In the midst of the confrontation, one of the suspects was heard yelling that he had been hit before they fled the scene.
When law enforcement arrived at approximately 12:30 a.m., they found Varner suffering from multiple shotgun wounds to his torso and lower extremities. The Colleton County Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene. In the days that followed the deadly home invasion, the Walterboro Police Department announced that they had identified a person of interest in the case. Investigators began searching for Aaron Ford, a 22-year-old from Walterboro, who they believed might have been involved in Varner's death. The police appealed to the public for any information regarding Ford's whereabouts.
