In the spring of 2016, a tragic discovery was made in a vacant lot in the community of Longs, South Carolina. The body of 22-year-old Shannon DiTillio was found on April 11, 2016, initiating a homicide investigation into the young woman's death. DiTillio, who had recently traveled to South Carolina from Buffalo, New York, was approximately 16 weeks pregnant at the time of her murder.
An autopsy would later reveal that she had been fatally shot in the face.
The investigation quickly centered on DiTillio's ex-boyfriend, Cristopher Kalb of Ash, North Carolina. Authorities uncovered evidence that led them to secure arrest warrants for Kalb, charging him with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. At the time the warrants were issued, Kalb was already incarcerated in Brunswick County, North Carolina, on an unrelated domestic violence charge involving a different woman.
Following his arrest for DiTillio's murder, Kalb initially resisted extradition to South Carolina. However, he was eventually brought to Horry County to face the charges against him. The case against Kalb detailed a violent end to a troubled relationship. He and DiTillio already had a young daughter together, and it was believed that the unborn child was also his.
In August 2017, Cristopher Kalb, then 26 years old, pleaded guilty to the murder of Shannon DiTillio. By pleading guilty, he avoided a trial but was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his crime. The legal proceedings brought a close to a case that was described by the assistant solicitor as 'tragic,' leaving a young child without a mother and an unborn baby with no chance at life.
