On the night of December 19, 2016, 18-year-old Garrett Mitchell was found in the front yard of a home on the 4600 block of Lowell Drive in North Charleston, South Carolina, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died of his injuries. Police say the shooting followed what began as a purported drug deal that was actually a setup for robbery.

A juvenile acquaintance testified that she lured Garrett to the location at the request of Maulique Alexander Heyward. According to the testimony, Garrett was confronted by Heyward and a co-defendant, robbed of cash, a wallet and a cell phone, and then struggled over a pistol. Heyward reportedly disarmed Garrett and shot him three times as Garrett pleaded for his life before fleeing with the accomplice.

Heyward, 22 at the time of the killing, was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. At trial in August 2019 the jury convicted Heyward of murder and the weapon charge; a judge imposed a total sentence of 45 years. Does anyone have information about Garrett’s life or the night he was killed that could help clarify what happened?