Cornelius Smith was 51 when he was shot and killed after a confrontation on Prince Street in Georgetown, South Carolina, in the early morning hours of August 30, 2022. Known as Cono, he was a lifelong Georgetown resident and a certified tree cutter who worked for Georgetown Tree Services and K&M Tree Services. He was a father, a fiancé, a brother and a son with a large extended family; his funeral was held at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in the Choppee community.

According to the incident report, a witness heard loud knocking and a male voice demanding to be let in shortly before Smith returned from a nearby store and encountered a man on the porch. The witness said the man, later identified by police as 25-year-old Stevion Marsh, threw the first punch, then pulled out a knife; Smith grabbed the man’s arm, they grappled and fell, and the situation escalated.

Police announced a warrant charging 25-year-old Stevion Marsh with murder; he was arrested in Darlington County the next night and booked in Georgetown County on August 31, 2022, on murder and a weapons charge. Reports note an arrest and booking do not imply guilt and do not describe any completed trial or verdict. If anyone knew Cornelius Smith, his movements that night, or saw the confrontation on Prince Street, please share what you know with investigators.