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The South Carolina supreme court has assigned a judge to oversee the high-profile wrongful death suit filed by the family of Scott Ryan Spivey – a 33-year-old insurance adjuster from Tabor City, North Carolina who lost his life in a controversial roadside shooting on a rural Palmetto State road on September 9, 2023.
The judicial assignment was ordered days before a hearing to determine whether Spivey’s admitted shooters – Charles Weldon Boyd and Kenneth Bradley Williams – qualified for immunity from civil or criminal prosecution under South Carolina’s stand your ground law. Boyd and Williams claim they acted in self defense.
According to an order signed by S.C. chief justice John W. Kittredge, circuit court judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. has been vested with exclusive jurisdiction over this matter – meaning he will hear and decide all motions and proceedings in the case. The order also means hearings in the matter will be scheduled wherever Griffith “may be assigned to hold court.”
The civil suit against Boyd and Williams was filed in June 2024 by Jennifer Spivey Foley – sister of Scott Spivey and the personal representative of his estate. It was initiated after local and state criminal investigations failed to yield any charges against Boyd or Williams.
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In the moments leading up to the fatal roadside standoff just two miles south of the North Carolina border, multiple 911 callers reported Spivey 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 entering through his back. Both men admitted their roles in the shooting, but invoked the Palmetto State’s ‘Protection of Persons and Property Act,” a.k.a. its “Stand Your Ground” law. 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.”
Defense counsel sees it differently, stating, “Mr. Spivey, after firing his weapon at the defendants, was killed in an exchange of gunfire.”
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RELATED | UNSOLVED CAROLINAS: THE ROADSIDE SHOOTING OF SCOTT SPIVEY
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In the immediate aftermath of the fatal shooting, Boyd – an Army veteran and Myrtle Beach entrepreneur – placed a phone call to his friend Brandon Strickland, chief deputy of the Horry County Police Department — a move that appeared to influence the trajectory of the investigation.
Strickland resigned from HCPD in March 2025 when confronted with findings from an internal investigation. Another HCPD officer, Paul Vascovi, was fired in April 2025 after body cam footage surfaced showing him signaling Boyd to act like a victim for the cameras.
HCPD remains under investigation by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) over allegations of misconduct related to the investigation.
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THE NEW JUDGE…
Griffith is a seasoned jurist known for handling politically sensitive and high-stakes cases. A graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, he has served on the bench since 2000 and currently sits as a judge for the Palmetto State’s eighth circuit – covering Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Newberry counties.
Griffith’s courtroom reputation is one of independence and rigor — qualities likely to be crucial in a case marred by allegations of official interference, uneven justice, and potential abuse of power.
While the South Carolina supreme court has authority to assign judges in any case, it is relatively uncommon for the state’s high court to step in and designate a specific judge to preside over a civil wrongful death suit. Such a move typically signals:
- Concerns about local conflicts of interest, particularly when defendants are politically connected or have influence within law enforcement circles.
- Heightened public scrutiny, triggered by media exposure and community outrage.
- Complicated procedural dynamics, including potential recusals or the need for a judge experienced in managing public trust issues.
- A desire to ensure impartial handling of a case with statewide implications.
Griffith’s assignment signals that the justices are taking the case seriously — and seeking to remove any shadow of local influence from the courtroom.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience in the loop on any pertinent updates related to this story…
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THE ORDER…
(S.C. Supreme Court)
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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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