On a rural road in Effingham, South Carolina, a 40-year-old woman named Dana Marie Kinlaw was discovered dead on January 22, 2026, the victim of a brutal and calculated ambush. Believing she was meeting someone to purchase a puppy for her family, Kinlaw had traveled to Atlantic Road near Springbranch Road, accompanied by a 19-year-old acquaintance, Iryanna Jarissa Fleming.
The promise of a new pet, however, was a deceptive lure into a deadly trap.
Upon their arrival, Kinlaw was shot and her body was then set on fire within her own vehicle. First responders were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze, and it was during this response that her remains were discovered inside the still-burning car. The Florence County Sheriff's Office quickly launched an investigation into the horrific crime.
Investigators have since arrested three individuals in connection with the murder. Iryanna Jarissa Fleming, who had accompanied Kinlaw, was taken into custody along with 31-year-old Daquinn Taheen Thomas and 31-year-old Nikko Carraway. All three face charges of murder, arson, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. They are currently being held without bond at the Florence County Detention Center.
The motive for this violent act appears to be one of retaliation. Authorities have stated their belief that Kinlaw's murder was connected to a separate homicide in the neighboring Darlington County. It is believed that Kinlaw's son was involved in that earlier incident, and her killing was a direct act of revenge. The investigation into the full scope of these interconnected crimes remains ongoing, with the possibility of additional charges being filed as more details come to light.
