Scott Spivey Wrongful Death Case: Delay Sought By Defendant

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An immunity hearing in a high-profile wrongful death case filed by the family of the late North Carolina insurance adjuster Scott Spivey has been scheduled for early next month in Horry County, South Carolina — but one of the defendants is asking the court to pause these proceedings altogether.

Kenneth Bradley Williams is seeking a stay in the case pending the outcome of an investigation into law enforcement’s handling of the original shooting – which has revived concerns about police corruption in South Carolina while also sparking a conversation about the Palmetto State’s ‘Protection of Persons and Property Act,” a.k.a. its “Stand Your Ground” law.

A motions hearing in the wrongful death case has been scheduled for the week of June 9, 2025 in Conway, S.C. – although a recent notice of appearance by Morgan Martin, a prominent attorney from Horry County, could wind up pushing that date back further.

Martin filed a notice of appearance this week on behalf of Williams co-defendant, Myrtle Beach businessman Charles Weldon Boyd.

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Spivey, 33, of Tabor City, N.C., was shot and killed on September 9, 2023. In the moments leading up to the fatal roadside standoff just two miles south of the North Carolina border, multiple 911 callers reported him driving erratically and waving a gun as he headed north on Highway 17 toward Loris, S.C.

Shortly after turning onto Cross Swamp Road, Spivey pulled over, at which point a confrontation ensued.

More than forty rounds were fired at Spivey by Boyd and Williams – with the fatal bullet (fired by Boyd) entering through his back. Both men admitted their roles in the shooting, but claimed to have acted in self defense. The Horry County Police Department (HCPD) closed the case after a dubious investigation – and the office of S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson declined to file criminal charges against Boyd and Williams.

Attorneys for the plaintiff argued “when Spivey exited his vehicle, Boyd and Williams opened fire, emptying multiple rounds into Spivey and causing his death.”

“Although Spivey fired his weapon after being mortally wounded by Boyd, neither Boyd nor Williams was struck by Scott,” their argument continued.

Defense counsel sees it differently, stating that “Mr. Spivey, after firing his weapon at the defendants, was killed in an exchange of gunfire.”

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In the moments after the shooting, Boyd called a personal friend – HCPD chief deputy Brandon Strickland. As FITSNews previously reported, the investigation into Spivey’s death was marred by inconsistencies, missing video footage and internal questions about how the scene was processed and how evidence was preserved. More ominously, allegations of criminal misconduct have been leveled against multiple HCPD officers in connection with their investigation into the shooting.

Strickland resigned from HCPD in March 2025 after being confronted with the results of an internal affairs investigation. A second officer, Paul Vascovi, was fired the following month after body cam footage surfaced showing him signaling Boyd to act like a victim for the cameras.

Amidst intense media coverage — including the spotlight of The Wall Street Journal — Williams has asked the court to stay proceedings until the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) completes its investigation into HCPD. His filing (.pdf) accuses the plaintiff’s legal team of pushing law enforcement to pursue charges while leveraging the media to dominate the narrative and stoke public outrage.

The SLED investigation isn’t focused on the shooting itself, but rather on potential officer misconduct in the aftermath. Whether those findings could ultimately lead to criminal consequences for Boyd and Williams remains to be seen. The plaintiffs are skeptical – particularly when it comes to the potential for charges against Williams.

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RELATED | UNSOLVED CAROLINAS: THE ROADSIDE SHOOTING OF SCOTT SPIVEY

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Plaintiff’s attorneys led by Mark Tinsley – who is known for his success in high-profile cases – have opposed the delay, arguing that without the expectation or likelihood of criminal charges against Williams or Boyd, a stay isn’t justified.

The response from Williams was accompanied by a familiar exhibit – a complaint from a lawsuit filed by Tinsley on behalf of the family of 19-year-old Mallory Beach. This lawsuit accused Greg Parker of the Parker’s Kitchen chain of convenience stores of engaging alleged social media “knife-fighters” to stir up pre-trial publicity in connection with a boat crash case which accused the late Paul Murdaugh of drunken negligence related to Beach’s death.

Many believe this case precipitated the fall of the Murdaugh empire – causing a domino effect which led directly to Alex Murdaugh’s exposure and eventual incarceration for financial crimes. The boat crash and its impact on the family is considered a possible motive for Alex Murdaugh’s decision to kill his wife, Maggie Murdaugh, and his son.

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Williams contends the Spivey family’s attorney – Tinsley – has engaged in precisely the same kinds of “knife-fighter” tactics allegedly employed by Parker.

“Plaintiff and her attorneys conspired with others, including elected and appointed officials, to create false narratives and disseminate false factual accounts about the underlying events that give rise to this lawsuit,” Williams’ filing noted. “It appears that attorney Tinsley believes this conduct is inappropriate when engaged in against him and his client in Hampton County but is appropriate when engaged in by attorney Tinsley and his client in this case in Horry County.”

Count on FITSNews to keep our audience apprised of any new developments related to these motions – including the likely delay of next month’s hearing. Also, be on the lookout early next week for an extensive interview about this case with Wall Street Journal reporter Valerie Bauerlein conducted by our founding editor Will Folks.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.

Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.

Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”

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