On a late summer evening in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, 22-year-old June Guerry, a young single mother, and her 18-year-old friend, Dana Woods, set out for a quick bite at a local Burger King. This seemingly ordinary outing on August 26, 2012, would tragically be their last. After failing to return home, their concerned families initiated a frantic search for the two young women.
The last communication anyone had was a brief phone call Dana made to her mother, mentioning they were giving someone a ride.
Several days later, the search came to a devastating end when their bodies were discovered in the vast expanse of the Francis Marion National Forest. Dana's body was found approximately 75 yards from her burned-out car off Cane Gully Road. June's body was located about 10 miles away in a watery dirt pit near Walleye Road. Both women had been shot in the back of the head in an execution-style killing. The discovery sent shockwaves through the quiet Southern town and launched an intensive homicide investigation.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on two cousins who were acquainted with the victims: 23-year-old Caleb Brad Matlock and Arthur Ray Chavis. One of the men had been seen driving Dana's car in the area where her body was later found. Following their arrests on September 1, 2012, the grim details of the crime came to light. Chavis confessed that the initial plan was to rob the women and steal Dana's car to commit further robberies. He claimed Matlock was the one who unexpectedly and fatally shot both June and Dana. At the time of his arrest, Matlock was found in possession of the murder weapon.
In August 2014, just a week before his trial was set to begin, Caleb Matlock pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, armed robbery, and third-degree arson. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison. During his court appearance, he expressed remorse for his actions. The following year, in April 2015, Arthur Chavis pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter and armed robbery. Maintaining that he was unaware of his cousin's murderous intent, Chavis was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
