Marlene Grace Ables, 24, was shot and killed at a residence on Highway 14 near the Barksdale community in Laurens, South Carolina, on November 25, 2023. Deputies from the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office found her with a gunshot wound to the chest; both she and her unborn daughter, about six to seven months along and intended to be named Skarlett, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Camrin Jay Smith, 21 at the time and identified as Marlene’s fiancé, was initially arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a weapon after the shooting was described as accidental. Investigators later said evidence indicated the shooting was intentional, that Smith had pulled the trigger, and that he waited an undetermined amount of time before calling 911 and had first called his father. Charges were upgraded to include murder for Marlene and her unborn child, along with weapons offenses.

Was anyone in the Laurens area aware of tensions or incidents involving Marlene and Camrin that could help explain what happened?