In the quiet community of Manning, South Carolina, the life of 24-year-old Emanuel Torres was tragically cut short in early 2015. A man described by his family as a homebody who rarely ventured far from his Arlene Road residence, Torres was last seen on the evening of February 27, 2015, walking near his home. His family grew concerned when he did not return, and their fears were tragically realized a few days later.
On March 3, 2015, a local farmer made a grim discovery off Fawn Ridge in
Manning: a burned vehicle with human remains inside. The body was soon identified as Emanuel Torres. An autopsy would later confirm the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the back of the head, turning a missing person case into a homicide investigation. The deliberate act of setting the vehicle on fire pointed to a calculated effort to conceal the crime.
The investigation led by the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office soon zeroed in on several individuals. In early May 2015, after a two-month search, authorities located and arrested a married couple, Shanta Arleene Reason and Travis Terrill Starks, in Pennsylvania. They were extradited back to South Carolina to face charges in connection with Torres's death. Another individual, Barbara Deann Judy of Alcolu, was also implicated and arrested for her role in the events surrounding the murder.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of justice for Emanuel Torres and his family. Shanta Arleene Reason, then 36, pleaded guilty to charges of murder and armed robbery. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder and a concurrent 30 years for the armed robbery. Her husband, 27-year-old Travis Terrill Starks, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and received a 13-year sentence. Barbara Deann Judy, who was initially charged with accessory before the fact to murder, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of accessory after the fact to a felony. She was sentenced to five years in prison, which was suspended to time served and 18 months of probation.
