In the early morning hours of November 11, 2007, a sense of stillness in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, was shattered by violence. Christopher Dale Teseniar, Sr., a 20-year-old male, was asleep in his home when the unthinkable happened. He was fatally shot in the face and chest at approximately 4:40 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Berkeley County Coroner's Office.
Born in Loris, SC, on August 2, 1987, Christopher attended Goose Creek High School and was employed by Action Construction at the time of his death.
The investigation into his murder revealed a chilling narrative of betrayal and greed. Witnesses reported seeing two individuals leaving Teseniar's home after the shooting, though they were unable to identify them. A crucial piece of evidence, a cell phone belonging to Michael Jason Maxwell, was discovered at the crime scene. This discovery pointed investigators toward a motive rooted in suspicion and retaliation. It was revealed that Maxwell and a co-defendant, Adam Tarpley, believed Teseniar had stolen jewelry and pills from them.
The case against Maxwell solidified as inmates at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner reported that he had been bragging about the murder while incarcerated. Further implicating him, Adam Tarpley provided a statement to authorities, admitting that he drove Maxwell to a trailer and heard two gunshots. A second co-defendant, Annette Henderson, was also charged as an Accessory After the Fact to Murder for her alleged role in destroying evidence related to the crime.
One day after his trial began in April 2010, Michael Jason Maxwell chose to plead guilty to charges of Murder and Burglary in the First Degree. Circuit Court Judge Kristi L. Harrington sentenced him to a term of 60 years for the murder and a consecutive 25 years for the burglary. Tarpley, who had been expected to testify for the state, did not have to take the stand due to Maxwell's guilty plea.
