Fact V. Fiction: The Death Of Tyrell Wallace

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The death of an Upstate, South Carolina, teenager remains enveloped in allegations of kidnapping, torture, murder, and desecration of human remains, among other injustices purportedly committed during an investigation into his whereabouts.

Within the afternoon of Thursday, June 6, 2024, approximately one month after 19-year-old Tyrell “Rell” Wallace was reported missing from the Ninety-Six area, deputies of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) made a gruesome breakthrough in the case.

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THE DISCOVERY …

After canvassing a property on Main Street West, GCSO deployed one cadaver dog into a secluded grove adjacent to Tyrell’s residence. At about 3:30 p.m. EST, investigators located a tan backpack containing the teenager’s birth certificate, bible, and other personal effects.

“A few feet over, officers located human remains next to a tree,” wrote GCSO Investigator Michael Belcher in an incident report. “I secured the scene to ensure the evidence was not tampered with or contaminated. I photographed the area and marked potential evidence of value (sic).”

According to GCSO, eight evidence markers were strewn throughout the crime scene. Confiscated property included Tyrell’s white T-shirt, red shorts, one sock, one Nike sandal, one chain necklace and one plastic bracelet, which GCSO cumulatively valued at $81.

Investigators furthermore confiscated a purple vape valued at $100, a cellular phone valued at $75 and one package of Swisher Sweet cigarillos ostensibly valued at $5. Tyrell’s backpack, containing promotional material from the S.C. National Guard (SCNG), was later valued at $25.

Investigator Belcher estimated Tyrell’s remains to be approximately 75 yards, or 225 feet, from his mother’s home on Murray Drive. The single mother of six children told FITSNews she was notified of GCSO’s discovery within the afternoon.

“I just fell the fuck out on the floor at work,” said Kennetta Robinson Bay. “I eventually had an episode in my kitchen. I busted my damn microwave up. I threw a damn Dollar Tree glass at it. Everything broke. I kept saying my baby was okay, my baby was okay.”

After the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office collected her son’s remains, Tyrell was transferred to the Abbeville County Coroner’s Office for a canceled examination on June 7, 2024. The following week, he was redirected to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.

According to a GCSO spokesperson, Tyrell’s corpse was too decomposed to perform an autopsy procedure or toxicology screening at the aforementioned offices. He was ultimately referred to an anthropologist at Clemson University (CU) for a biological analysis. 

“The skeleton is nearly complete, with no tissue adhering to the skeletal elements,” wrote Katherine Weisensse, Ph.D., in her report to Greenwood County Coroner Sonny Cox. “A hair mass and a few nails were recovered… There is no evidence of scavenger activity present.”

Weisensse’s report furthermore noted the absence of “perimortem trauma,” which could have provided insight into Tyrell’s cause of death. She later observed the partial absence of four left toes (distal phalanges), one right finger (distal phalanx), and one front tooth (central incisor).

After reiterating that Tyrell’s remains were discovered without scavenging, the anthropologist predicted that 6 to 32 days had elapsed since his death.

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THE DISAPPEARANCE …

In the months preceding Tyrell’s death, he had purportedly become holistic and spiritual. Undated, handwritten letters indicate the Ninety Six High School graduate was an avid earther — a therapeutic technique consisting of direct skin contact with the Earth.

“I ask for your protection, dear heavenly father,” wrote Tyrell at an indeterminate time. “I also ask that you work your magic on my mother, Kennetta, to receive a holy message… I also want to pray for my brother, Terrell, to accomplish his goals [and] to help him stay strong.”

The remainder of Tyrell’s letters can be found here and here and here.

According to 18-year-old Terrell “TJ” Wallace, it was uncommon for the family to go several days without hearing from or seeing Tyrell at the family home. Come May 6, 2024, he claims to have exchanged words with his older brother for the last time.

“When I got up for school, he was up around the same time,” said Terrell during an interview. “He lived here, but he just slept here, really… We’re the only people we got. We’re the only family we got. And I don’t know him to stay at a friend’s house unless he found a girl.”

According to Bay, she last spoke with Tyrell around 7:30 a.m. EST that morning. Come sometime before dusk, she claims to have unlocked his bedroom door after cooking dinner for her family — including two toddlers and two teenagers. 

“His window was wide open,” continued Bay. “His TV and everything was plugged up. So I closed the window, but I didn’t lock it… The window thing wasn’t new to me. When my kids are locked out of this house, they aren’t locked out for long.”

The following morning, around 11:00 a.m. EST, Tyrell was last recorded alive while applying for a seasonal position at Hardee’s on Main Street East in Ninety Six, S.C. According to an employee, iPhone issues prevented Tyrell from mandatorily texting “Hardees 5” to 2500.

“He first worked with us about 15 months ago,” said the employee. “But when he came to reapply, he didn’t have phone service. And because we don’t have Wi-Fi right now, his phone didn’t work… He talked with the shift leader for a good bit about it.”

Surveillance camera video indicates Tyrell exited the job interview wearing a black hat, tan backpack, white T-shirt, black jeans and Jordan 3 Retro Racer Blue sneakers. Within the day, he’s believed to have walked approximately 1.4 miles back to his family’s residence.

“I know for a fact that Tyrell came back here,” said Bay. “He had to come back here and change his clothes because those Jays are still in his room… And for detectives to say he had on red basketball shorts, some flops and one fucking sock? That’s fucking weird!”

According to GCSO records, Bay reported Wallace missing on Friday, May 10, 2024. Deputies thereupon issued a “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) broadcast within the evening and entered her son into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) five days later.

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THE PROLIFERATION …

In the aftermath of Tyrell’s death, community members through the Upstate have proliferated the incident with salacious and unsubstantiated rumors. At least one local business was forced to close temporarily, with at least three families landing in the crosshairs of Facebook users.

“I have no idea how my family or business got mentioned as having involvement in the death of Tyrell Wallace,” posted a storefront viscerally accused of harboring Wallace’s remains. “Our family mourns with the rest of the community while investigative efforts are ongoing.”

A local family was furthermore accused of dissolving Tyrell’s body with stolen chemicals from an industrial plant in Hodges, S.C. Friends of the same family were thereupon accused of setting fire to Tyrell’s remains within a nearby field in Ninety Six, S.C.

Some residents have since accused Bay of killing Tyrell either alone or with accomplices. While she admitted to her family’s faults during a late-night interview with FITSNews, she categorically denied any involvement in the death of her firstborn son.

“Everybody with these bullshit-ass assumptions,” countered Bay. “Never, in a million years, did I think my baby would be on a motherfucking T-shirt. And I don’t even know what the fuck happened… I got a theory, just like everybody else. But that’s all it is. A fucking theory.”

According to Bay, Tyrell was recorded at a party with the formerly accused family on May 1, 2024. Following GCSO’s discovery one month later, a pickup truck supposedly associated with the group was caught canvassing Bay’s neighborhood.

“There was a fucking truck in my driveway,” alleged Bay. “There’s only two houses on this side of the street, and one of them is vacant. Why didn’t they pull into that driveway? Apparently, it stopped by my neighbor’s mailbox and sped off… It left track marks in the street.”

She furthermore claimed to have berated the caucasian driver on June 22, 2024, after watching him park on Murray Drive and attempt to enter her son’s death place. He purportedly absconded from the neighborhood after being yelled at from the treeline.

Despite ceaseless allegations and then some, Tyrell’s cause of death remains undetermined with no evidence of foul play. According to investigators, there is no indication of his remains being subject to an acid attack, chemical burn, fire, trauma or postmortem staging.

“I beat myself up about this every day because I feel like I failed my son,” concluded Bay. “You can’t tell me he laid down next to a fucking tree and died… I couldn’t keep him out of harm’s way and now I’m not getting any help from Greenwood County. All I want is justice.”

This story may be updated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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