Attorney General Alan Wilson leads annual Silent Witness to honor victims of fatal domestic abuse in 2025
Ceremony Held During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson led participants through the 29th annual Silent Witness Ceremony that was held today at the South Carolina State Capitol Complex in Columbia, S.C. During the solemn ceremony, Attorney General Wilson called the names of thirty women and ten men from across the state who lost their lives in the previous year as a result of domestic violence.
Family members and friends carried life-sized silhouettes, each representing a victim. As the silhouettes were brought to the State House steps, a bell was rung to honor each victim. An additional silhouette (41) was carried to represent potential unknown victims.
“Each name we read today represents a life taken, a family grieving, and a community forever changed,” said Attorney General Alan Wilson. “We honor these victims by remembering them and continuing our work to support survivors, hold abusers accountable, and strengthen South Carolina’s response to domestic violence.”
Changes to the FBI’s crime reporting system have affected the Violence Policy Center’s ability to publish annual state rankings. While state rankings remain unavailable, its 2023 report analyzed 25 years of data, and South Carolina was consistently in the top 10 states from 1996 to 2020, except in 2018, when it ranked 11th, and 2020, when it ranked 23rd.
The Center’s latest publication, released in September 2026, examined 2024 homicide data. Although South Carolina’s rate of women killed by men has declined overall since its peak in 1998, it remained above the national average in 2024. Their summary analysis also reported that nine out of ten women are killed by men they know, and almost two-thirds die by gunfire.
The Honorable Alan Wilson, religious leaders, and other community members made special remarks to highlight the problem of domestic violence in our state.
A statistical breakdown for each county is available at: https://www.scag.gov/inside-the-office/criminal-division/special-prosecution/violence-against-women-act-vawa/
2026 Silent Witness Victims
Tayler Maraj
24 years old
Anderson County
Stephanie Hicks
42 years old
Bamberg County
Dennis Recker
81 years old
Beaufort County
Angel Capers
38 years old
Berkeley County
Darlisha McIlwain
43 years old
Berkeley County
Janet Crouch
37 years old
Charleston County
Cheryl Gaydos
47 years old
Charleston County
Einar Bordallo Godoy
39 years old
Charleston County
Laury Villalobos Soler
34 years old
Charleston County
Vantazia Campbell
29 years old
Dillon County
James Abraham
46 years old
Florence County
Crislyn McFarlan
23 years old
Florence County
Patrick McKenzie
54 years old
Florence County
Christopher Sullivan
40 years old
Florence County
Catherine Jones
84 years old
Greenville County
Ana Belen Martinez-Argueta
34 years old
Greenville County
Kenoshia Wheeler
29 years old
Greenville County
Christine Gonzalez
46 years old
Jasper County
Carol Wilson Baker
60 years old
Lee County
Porsha Ivey
34 years old
Lee County
Tanasia Parker
30 years old
Lee County
Gaude Hughes
45 years old
Lexington County
Azia Lock
27 years old
Marion County
Rose Kewlani
52 years old
Newberry County
Michele Gillis
60 years old
Orangeburg County
Michael Anthony Howell
35 years old
Orangeburg County
Crystal Pace
41 years old
Pickens County
Zakiyah Hanna Ali
30 years old
Richland County
Mauricio Garcia
52 years old
Richland County
Silvia Bolanos Ojeda
36 years old
Richland County
Monique Worthy
42 years old
Richland County
Kimberly Leon
52 years old
Saluda County
Lina Samarel
45 years old
Spartanburg County
James Elvington
60 years old
Sumter County
Akinyele Johnson
25 years old
Sumter County
Felicia Leonard
76 years old
Sumter County
Dewey Donnelly
35 years old
Williamsburg County
Leonor Alpizar
37 years old
York County
Glenda Gregorio
28 years old
York County
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