In the quiet town of Williston, South Carolina, a life was abruptly cut short on a summer evening, leaving a family in mourning and a community seeking answers. On Sunday, June 29, 2014, 19-year-old D'Andre Dorrell Gleaton, a male resident of Williston, was tragically killed. The incident that claimed his life unfolded on Languish Street, where he was involved in an altercation that escalated to fatal violence.
He suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Barnwell County Coroner.
The investigation into the untimely death of D'Andre Gleaton was handled by the Williston Police Department with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. In the days following the shooting, the focus of the investigation quickly centered on a single suspect. The individual sought in connection with the death was 17-year-old Marquis Mitchell. As law enforcement officials publicly identified him and sought his whereabouts, the young suspect made the decision to surrender. On a Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by his mother, Marquis Mitchell turned himself in to the authorities at the Williston Police Department, bringing a swift though somber development to the case.
Following his surrender, Marquis Mitchell was formally charged in the death of D'Andre Gleaton. The charges brought against him were severe, including one count of murder and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. After being taken into custody, he was transported to the Barnwell County Detention Center to await legal proceedings. The community was left to grapple with the loss of a young man and the sobering reality of another young life facing the consequences of a violent act.
