Charles Yobak, 62, was shot multiple times and died in the home he shared with his son on a Saturday night in November 2017 near Myrtle Beach. Horry County police found him without a pulse after arriving at the Southbury Drive residence about 10:30 p.m.; an officer who lived next door was the first to respond. The victim’s son, Christopher Charles Yobak, was found on the front porch calmly smoking and was arrested at the scene.

Christopher Yobak, then 36, was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Prosecutors said he had woken to his father assaulting his wife, an allegation that became central to the case. In June 2019 he pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea deal.

At sentencing the state urged five years, some relatives sought up to 30 years, and the judge imposed a 15-year sentence but suspended it in favor of the 18 months Christopher had already served, followed by five years of probation. Several family members said they were dismayed by the outcome. Did anyone who knew Charles or the family notice tensions or incidents in the months before November 2017?