A tenth teenager will surrender to police in the murder of 16-year-old Trey Dean Wright, bringing the suspect count into double digits in a South Carolina case where the victim’s own girlfriend allegedly orchestrated his murder.
Major Michael Nunn of the Florence County Sheriff’s Office said the additional suspect helped bring “the armed codefendant to the incident location” while knowing a confrontation would occur. Investigators say Wright was lured to his death on June 24 by his girlfriend of only a few weeks, 17-year-old Gianna Helene Kistenmacher, in a love triangle involving alleged gunman Devin Scott Raper, 19.
The Fatal Confrontation
Wright died from multiple gunshot wounds at 11:30 p.m. on First Neck Road near Johnsonville, about 45 miles west of Myrtle Beach. Authorities say Kistenmacher drove to the location first, with Raper and other teens following behind. Wright expected a fistfight but had no idea shots would be fired.
Alicia Lauderback, who was housing Wright, rushed outside after hearing gunshots and found him in the road, shot twice in the chest and bleeding from his arm. Wright gasped, still conscious, trying to talk. His final words were: “I’m going to sleep now.” Despite Jerry Lauderback’s CPR attempts, doctors declared Wright dead at the hospital.
Wright, who was weeks away from starting his sophomore year at Johnsonville High School, where he played football and baseball, had been staying with the Lauderback family to continue attending school there after his mother moved away.
The confrontation didn’t come out of nowhere. Days before the shooting, teenagers circulated a video among local teens showing Raper threatening Wright with a gun over the phone.
The Law Catches Up
Kistenmacher’s calculated deception made the betrayal more devastating. After orchestrating the murder, the teenager acted as shocked by the shooting as everyone else and rode to the hospital with Wright’s family. Hiding her role until police pieced together what happened. “She fooled all of us,” Lauderback said. “She seemed more public with Trey, but then you realize she was stringing both along.”
Making things worse, one teenager filmed the murder, though police haven’t stated who recorded the killing or why. This video evidence helped investigators identify additional suspects and understand the scope of the conspiracy.
Expanding Investigation
Police used the video evidence to identify and arrest Hunter Matthew Kendall, 18, Sydney Marissa Kearns, 17, and Corrine Elizabeth Belviso, 18, all on murder charges. Four other suspects are minors who haven’t been named.
Under South Carolina law, accomplices face the same charges as the main suspect. Major Nunn told local news that everyone charged helped bring Raper to the scene, “knowing that there would be a confrontation” and “knew that Raper had presented a firearm to the victim and made threats to shoot him.”
Seven suspects are adults, and two are minors, with anyone over 17 tried as an adult. Raper was arrested the day after the shooting on murder and weapons charges and is held without bail. Kistenmacher was charged as an accessory and released on $25,000 bail with house arrest at her family’s gated community. When deputies announced Raper’s arrest on June 26, they warned that “additional arrests are possible”.
Over What?
According to the reports, the deadly confrontation came from a love triangle that had built over months. Wright met Raper last spring at the beach, and Raper introduced Wright to Kistenmacher weeks before the murder. Sources say Raper had lost interest in Kistenmacher. She began secretly seeing Wright on weekday evenings in Johnsonville while spending time with Raper in the Myrtle Beach area on weekends.
Wright, described as not being “the real fighter type,” had genuinely fallen for Kistenmacher and wouldn’t have put himself in danger unless he truly cared about her. Wright lived in a crowded mobile home in the rural, swampy area locals call “the Neck”. While Kistenmacher’s family lives in an expensive gated community near Myrtle Beach. People close to Wright said he felt he wasn’t “good enough” for Kistenmacher. Which may explain why he walked into the deadly trap.
Sheriff TJ Joye said the confrontation came down to a “conflict” over Kistenmacher, fueled by jealousy and bravado. “The sad thing is, you got a 16-year-old who lost his life. You’ve got a 19-year-old who is going to be in jail the rest of his life. Over what?” The question haunts a community still trying to understand how teenage rivalry ended in murder.
Everything’s Different Now
The killing has shattered the community where residents call themselves “Neck Gators” and treat each other like family. “It’s horrible. Everything’s different now,” Lauderback said. “We miss Trey and his big heart.” Her 14-year-old son Jayden considered Wright a brother and is still struggling with the loss.
The tragedy has left the rural community wondering how such violence could reach their world. Many residents blame both Raper and Kistenmacher for choices that destroyed young lives over what they see as petty teenage drama. As police work through evidence to hold everyone accountable. The community tries to heal from a loss.
Read More: Teen Brothers Accused of Murder as Older Sibling Faces Trial for Separate Killing