Though John E. Murray was murdered in Davis Station one fall night nearly a decade ago, his death is still fresh in the minds of his family.
Murray was not looking for trouble; in fact, he was doing a favor for someone he barely knew.
It was Oct. 14, 2006. His body would not be found for nearly three more months, leaving his family in constant turmoil as they waited to find out whether they would be welcoming him home or laying him to rest.
"It was not until near Christmas when cadaver dogs found my brother's decomposing body," said Evelyn Drayton, an evangelist and Murray's sister, who has written eight self-published inspirational books, some of which draw on her experiences in dealing with her brother's disappearance, his death and the trial and conviction of his killer.
"The delay in finding and identifying the body resulted in John not being properly buried until the following year, Jan. 19, 2007," Drayton said. "Up to that point, it seemed the family was having a funeral every day until we finally uttered the wors 'rest in peace' at his graveside service."
Ten years after her brother's untimely death, Drayton aims to transform lives by "being a positive force in our communities, offering positive messages for those in need of inspiration or encouragement," she said.
"In my own way, I hope to put an end to chaos, hate and brutality that so often surrounds us and see hearts and lives changed as a result of her messages," she said.
Though she seeks to help others with positive vibes and inspiration, Drayton admits that she still asks why after all these yars.
Though her brother stuttered, he was a hard-working, easy-going and humorous man. The 48-year-old Clarendon County native was the youngest of six siblings, and he and his brothers and sisters were raised by their grandparents in Davis Station.
He graduated in 1978 from Scott's Branch High School and operated his own business, Back Gate Mobile Home Set Up. He was performing contract work with Modern Housing of Manning at the time of his death.
Drayton said that her brother was generous to a fault.
"He was willing to give his last in order to help someone else," Drayton said. "He accumulated very little in life, because he always tried to help meet the needs of others, and so many people took advantage of his generosity."
Drayton said that Murray would have even given his last dollar to his killer, Jason Arnold Brown.
"This heinous crime against my brother was not committed by a policeman or a white man, but another young black man who murdered my black sibling," Drayton said. "It was a violent act that caused mayhem not just for one family, but two families in different ways."
Murray's niece reported him missing Oct. 17, three days after he was last seen at a checkers game at a home on Plowden Mill Road. He left the game to take an acquaintance home, and was allegedly en route to his girlfriend's home in Mayesville after he was dropping the acquaintance off.
One day after he was reported missing, Murray's gold Toyota Camry was found burned on Interstate 95. Murray's body was found Dec. 29 by a North Carolina cadaver dog. He was wrapped in a bed sheet and was left in a wooded area off Eliason Road, just less than two miles from where the checkers game was held.
U.s. Marshals arrested Brown one week later in Clearwater, Florida, charging him with carjacking, arson and murder. Four days after Brown's arrest, State Law Enforcement Division DNA analysts identified Murray's body. Brown was extradited back to Clarendon County on Jan. 11, 2007, and almost immediately implicated himself in Murray's death.
He pleaded guilty Dec. 6, 2007, to murder, receiving a 30-year prison sentence. He received 10 years for a charge of third-degree arson and five years for a charge of grand larceny of a value more than $1,000, but less than $5,000. A charge of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature was dismissed due to "a lack of prosecutorial evidence," according to the Clarendon Public Court Index.
Brown was just 24 at the time of his conviction. He filed an appeal, but it was dismissed in 2013.
"This young man was arrested and imprisoned, and I believe his family experienced grief as a result," Drayton said. "My family permanently lost a loved one, causing us long-term suffering and grief that shattered our world. Yet, no one marched; no one rioted or burned buildings; no one retaliated with another shooting; and no one instigated a lawsuit against anyone."
"Yet, these actions are common reactions nowadays," Drayton said.
Her hope through sharing her brother's story and her continuing message of positivity "is to see our communities love and care for each other when we are faced with acts of violence," she said.
"I want to see communities bond together, the way we bond and work together after natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and floods, no matter what our culture," Drayton noted. "We may not understand everything about each other, but we don’t have to be a threat to each other. Hate begins on the inside of us. When hate is abated, we can love ourselves and also love our fellow man."
Drayton said a respect for one another creates a respect for life.
"That's when this world and our communities can become a better place to live in," she said. "We already know how to work and live together. We only have to make a choice to stop the hate."
Drayton now lives in Georgetown with her husband and their two sons. For more information, visit www.evelyndrayton.org.
Editor Robert J. Baker contributed to this story.
