In the quiet, early hours of a Friday morning in Manning, South Carolina, a life was tragically cut short. On December 5, 2014, Stephen Hunter Brown, a 19-year-old male, died from a gunshot wound to the head. The fatal incident unfolded at a residence on Raider Drive, the home of 26-year-old Isaac Joseph Baughman II. Emergency services were called, and Brown was rushed to Clarendon Memorial Hospital, but his injury was too severe.
He was pronounced dead by the Clarendon County Coroner shortly after 5:10 a.m.
The Clarendon County Sheriff's Office immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Their inquiries quickly led them to Isaac Joseph Baughman II, who was identified as the alleged assailant. Baughman was arrested and formally charged with one count of murder. He was then transported to the Clarendon County Detention Center to be held in custody. Later that same day, Baughman appeared before a Clarendon Magistrate Judge for a bond hearing, where he was denied bond. While the authorities had a suspect in custody, the specific circumstances and what precipitated the deadly encounter at Baughman's home remained under investigation.
Stephen Hunter Brown, who had just turned 19, was born on November 26, 1995. A resident of Manning, he was an employee at the local Shoney's restaurant. His sudden and violent death was a devastating blow to his parents, sisters, and extended family. The community was left in mourning as arrangements were made for a graveside service to be held at Clarendon Memorial Gardens to lay the young man to rest.
