A violent encounter at the Charleston Heights Motel ended the life of 67-year-old motel owner Jagdishbhai Patel. On the evening of June 25, 2022, Patel was in the motel’s main office with his wife when an altercation occurred and he was shot in the head. He was taken to a hospital but died of his injuries on June 30, 2022, the Charleston County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a direct result of the shooting.

North Charleston Police identified 34-year-old Darnell Dwayne Brown as a suspect and took him into custody soon after the incident. He was initially charged with attempted murder; after Patel’s death the charge was upgraded to murder. Prosecutors described evidence recovered from Brown’s vehicle, including a backpack containing a gun and latex gloves. DNA on the gloves matched Brown, while DNA on the firearm did not. Testimony at trial included statements from Patel’s wife and son alongside law enforcement evidence.

Did anyone in the area have contact with the motel or the family around late June 2022 who can add details about that night?