In the early morning hours of August 4, 2014, a confrontation in Hallowell led to the tragic death of 20-year-old William 'Joey' Stephens, a White male from the Columbus area. The young man was fatally shot, and law enforcement was quickly summoned to the scene. An immediate search of the vicinity was initiated to locate the individual responsible for the shooting.
Responding deputies soon located 19-year-old Skyler C. Gurnee, a resident of rural Columbus. Gurnee was identified as the suspect in the shooting and was taken into custody shortly after the incident. He had sustained injuries during the event and was hospitalized for treatment before being transferred to the Cherokee County Jail, where he was held without bond.
The day after the shooting, on August 5, 2014, the Cherokee County Attorney, Nathan Coleman, formally charged Skyler Gurnee with one count of premeditated first-degree murder in the death of William 'Joey' Stephens. The case proceeded through the court system, and the investigation revealed that the fatal shooting was the result of a confrontation between Stephens and Gurnee. Ultimately, Gurnee was convicted for the murder and sentenced to serve nearly a decade in prison.
