Attorney General Alan Wilson led participants through the 27th annual Silent Witness Domestic Violence ceremony that was held at the South Carolina State Capitol Complex in Columbia. During the solemn ceremony, Attorney General Wilson called the names of 24 women and six men from across the state who lost their lives in the previous year as the result of domestic violence.
Family members and friends carried life-sized silhouettes, each representing a victim. As the silhouettes were brought to the State House steps, a bell was rung to honor each victim. An additional silhouette (31) was carried to represent potential unknown victims.
“Breaking the silence is the first step toward ending domestic violence. Each life lost to domestic violence is a call to action; let their memory fuel our fight for justice and change,” said Attorney General Wilson. “Domestic violence is not just a private matter; it is a public concern that needs our collective response. When we stand together, we can end domestic violence and create safer communities."
Last year, the Violence Policy Center temporarily suspended the state ranking usually contained in their annual report as the FBI transitions to a new report system. Its latest publication analyzes 25 years of data, from 1996 to 2020, in a special report released in October of 2023 that detailed data and trends from across the nation related to men killing women. In the report, South Carolina was in the top 10 states for 23 out of the past 25 years. In 2020 and 2022, the State ranked 11th and 23rd respectively.
The Honorable Alan Wilson, religious leaders, and other community members made special remarks to highlight the problem of domestic violence in our state.
A statistical breakdown for each county is available at http://www.scag.gov/criminal-domestic-violence-in-south-carolina.
2024 SILENT WITNESS VICTIMS
Jamilla Smith
30 years old
Aiken County
Ruth Whitaker70 years old
Aiken County
Marcella Caravello
69 years old
Beaufort County
Marissa Decker
46 years old
Berkeley County
Adiarylis Fowler24 years old
Berkeley County
Nakita Baxter
25 years old
Clarendon County
Kadajah McKay
25 years old
Darlington County
Bethany Shaw
21 years old
Darlington County
Adam Ward
49 years old
Darlington County
Teaeshia Kirkland
34 years old
Florence County
Angelica Aquino
33 years old
Greenville County
Javaria Drummond
23 years old
Greenville County
Genesys Rice
18 years old
Greenville County
Anthony Robbins
52 years old
Greenville County
Elizabeth Todd
45 years old
Greenville County
Jordan Privette
20 years old
Kershaw County
Robert Lee Wedman
31 years old
Laurens County
Dominique Bolen
36 years old
Lexington County
Chastity Busick
48 years old
Lexington County
Mae Nicole Moates
34 years old
Lexington County
Antonio Bethea
47 years old
Marion County
Ajhai Yvonne Taraya Gambrell
28 years old
Oconee County
Barbara Dinkins
48 years old
Richland County
Jaylan Sarah Hasty
29 years old
Richland County
CJ Antoine Sims
38 years old
Richland County
Wynter Straw
25 years old
Richland County
Nayda Pastrana Aguila
51 years old
Spartanburg County
Shana McClain
53 years old
Spartanburg County
Tyquirez Sims
21 years old
Spartanburg County
Dorothy Ware Brice
68 years old
York County
Original source can be found here.