In the quiet community of Ridgeland, South Carolina, a grim discovery was made on the morning of November 13, 2014. The body of 32-year-old Terrance Deanthony Johnson was found beside his vehicle on Knowles Island Road. An autopsy would later confirm that Johnson had died from gunshot wounds.
The investigation into his death uncovered a story that began at a sorrowful family gathering.
On the evening of November 12, both Johnson and Rohaime Jamar Hopkins, a 35-year-old acquaintance, were attending a bereavement gathering on Rice Shire Road. At some point, the two men left together in Johnson's car, reportedly heading to a residence on Knowles Island Road.
Approximately twenty minutes later, Hopkins returned to the gathering on foot, but Johnson was nowhere to be seen. According to an arrest warrant, Hopkins admitted to others at the gathering that he had shot Johnson three times before exiting the vehicle at a stop sign. This admission would become a crucial piece of evidence for investigators.
The Jasper County Sheriff's Office initially handled the case but soon called in the State Law Enforcement Division to lead the investigation. In April of the following year, Rohaime Jamar Hopkins was arrested and charged with the murder of Terrance Deanthony Johnson, bringing a measure of progress in a case that had stunned the local community.
