HAMPTON COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) — Two people have been charged in connection to the death of a man who was last seen over five years ago in Hampton County.

Jimmy Sylvester Smoak was in his mid-forties when he was last seen in the Hampton County area in April 2019.

Officials announced that they had made a major breakthrough and arrested two people, 41-year-old Ronald Lee Lyons and 30-year-old Courtney Melinda Lane, in connection to his death on Thursday. Lyons and Lane are both charged with murder.

Investigators reportedly determined that Lyons and Lane acted unlawfully and with malice in causing Smoak's death around April 1, 2019.

“Cold case investigations are among the most complex and demanding cases we face,” said Sheriff Russell. “They require extraordinary patience, diligence, and det

See Full Page