Clarendon County reported no domestic violence homicides in 2025, according to a newly released report from the South Carolina Attorney General's Office, while nearby Sumter and Williamsburg counties accounted for four of the state's 40 victims.
The annual South Carolina Domestic Violence Fatality Report, released in October as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, identified 30 women and 10 men killed by household members across 21 of the state's 46 counties.
Although Clarendon recorded no deaths meeting the report's criteria, Sumter County reported three domestic homicides, while Williamsburg County reported one.
In Sumter County, the victims were James Elvington, 60; Akinyele Johnson, 25; and Felicia Leonard, 76. All three died from gunshot wounds. According to the report, one murder case and two voluntary manslaughter cases were pending trial.
Williamsburg County reported the death of Dewey Donnelly, 35, who was fatally shot. A murder trial was pending in that case.
Statewide, firearms were the leading cause of death in domestic homicides, accounting for 28 of the 40 victims, or 70%. Six victims died from knife wounds, two from strangulation and four from other causes.
The report found that 75% of the victims were women. Eighteen victims were Black, 13 were white and seven were Hispanic. The average age was 43, with victims ranging from 23 to 84 years old.
Richland County recorded the highest number of domestic homicides with five, followed by Charleston and Florence counties with four each.
The Attorney General's Office compiled the report through its Violence Against Women Act program, collecting information from sheriff's offices, police departments, coroners and solicitors throughout the state. The information was cross-checked against records maintained by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
The report uses South Carolina's legal definition of household members, which includes spouses, former spouses, people who share a child and certain current or former cohabiting partners. The figures therefore do not represent every domestic violence incident or death involving family members.
Of the 40 cases statewide, 28 were awaiting trial on murder, homicide or voluntary manslaughter charges when the report was prepared. Eleven suspects died by suicide, and one defendant pleaded guilty to murder and received a 50-year prison sentence.
The findings were highlighted during the 29th annual Silent Witness Ceremony, held Oct. 6 at the South Carolina State Capitol Complex in Columbia.
During the ceremony, Attorney General Alan Wilson read the names of the 40 victims as family members and friends carried life-size silhouettes representing those who died. A bell rang as each silhouette was brought to the State House steps. A 41st silhouette represented potential unidentified victims.
“Each name we read today represents a life taken, a family grieving, and a community forever changed,” Wilson said. “We honor these victims by remembering them and continuing our work to support survivors, hold abusers accountable, and strengthen South Carolina’s response to domestic violence.”
The Silent Witness observance is part of the Attorney General's Office's broader efforts to raise awareness of domestic violence and support victims and survivors.
Through its federally funded Violence Against Women Act program, established in South Carolina in 1996, the office prosecutes crimes involving domestic violence and related offenses while providing training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and victim advocates.
The program also addresses sexual assault, stalking, harassment and human trafficking.
October is recognized nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an opportunity to remember victims, recognize survivors and encourage those experiencing abuse to seek assistance.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 for confidential assistance.
