Legal Battle Continues: Wrongful-Death Case Against Horry County Men Moves Toward Trial
By BC News Staff Writer
Horry County, SC — The wrongful-death lawsuit surrounding the 2023 killing of Tabor City resident Scott Allen Spivey has entered a critical new phase. Nearly three years after the 33-year-old insurance adjuster was shot and killed during a roadside confrontation on Camp Swamp Road in Horry County, South Carolina, a presiding judge has cleared the way for the case to proceed toward trial.
On September 9, 2023, Scott Spivey was involved in a fatal encounter with two South Carolina residents, Weldon Boyd and Kenneth “Bradley” Williams. Following the shooting, the case underwent a state-level criminal review by the South Carolina Attorney General’s office. In April 2024, prosecutors declined to file criminal charges, citing “insufficient evidence” to overcome the defendants’ invocation of South Carolina’s “Protection of Persons and Property Act” – commonly referred to as “Stand Your Ground.”
A Turning Point: Immunity Denied
In June 2024, the Spivey family filed a civil wrongful-death lawsuit. While the initial criminal review ended without charges, the civil litigation operates under a “preponderance of the evidence” standard, which requires a lower burden of proof.
In a landmark development in February 2026, after a multi-day evidentiary hearing, Circuit Court Judge Eugene C. Griffith Jr. issued a 19-page order denying the defendants’ motion for civil immunity. Judge Griffith’s ruling explicitly rejected the defendants’ claims of self-defense, citing 911 recordings and forensic evidence that indicated Boyd and Williams were the primary aggressors who initiated and escalated the pursuit. By denying this immunity, the court has effectively allowed the civil lawsuit to move toward a jury trial.
Investigative Controversy
The case has garnered intense regional scrutiny regarding the integrity of the initial police response by the Horry County Police Department (HCPD). Public attention was galvanized after body camera footage surfaced showing an HCPD sergeant instructing defendant Weldon Boyd to “act like a victim” at the scene. This and other evidentiary concerns led to an internal investigation, resulting in the termination of the involved sergeant in 2025 and the resignation of a high-ranking deputy chief.
While the incident occurred in South Carolina, placing all legal jurisdiction within Horry County courts the case remains a matter of deep concern for the Columbus County community, where Spivey was a well-known resident and youth coach.
The case is currently in the active discovery and pre-trial phase. Both parties are preparing for further proceedings to examine forensic data, disputed eyewitness accounts, and the findings of the court’s immunity ruling. While a formal trial date has not yet been set, the denial of immunity marks a significant milestone in the Spivey family’s pursuit of civil accountability.
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