In the summer of 2023, the life of a young Black/African American man, 20-year-old Xavier Kenyon Boyd, was cut tragically short in Greenwood, South Carolina. On the evening of July 7th, Boyd was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body on the steps of a residence on Gilliam Avenue, not far from his own home on Hackett Avenue. Emergency services transported him to Self Regional Healthcare, but despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries in the emergency room around 4
p.m. The Greenwood County Coroner's Office subsequently ruled his death a homicide.
The Greenwood Police Department, in conjunction with the coroner's office, immediately began an investigation into the shooting. For weeks, details about a potential suspect or motive remained elusive to the public. The investigation led authorities to identify 28-year-old Demetric Desmond Cowan as the suspect in Boyd's death. On July 28, 2023, Cowan turned himself into the Greenwood Police Department. He was subsequently arrested and formally charged with murder in connection with the death of Xavier Kenyon Boyd.
