David Conner, 59, was shot dead outside the Bolton’s Landing apartments on Bluewater Way in West Ashley, Charleston, on July 13, 2021. Responding crews found him lying on the ground; he died at the scene from a gunshot wound. Prosecutors say the deadly dispute grew out of a brief verbal confrontation the night before about someone talking loudly on a phone near Conner’s door, and Conner left a voicemail for the apartment office asking for help.

Investigators relied heavily on surveillance and digital evidence. Surveillance placed the principal suspect, Karseem Hardaway, near Conner’s apartment until just after the shooting, despite his claim to have left earlier. Authorities reported online searches by Hardaway about Conner’s workplace and vehicle, a distinctive 10mm shell casing at the scene, and proof that the suspect had owned such a handgun and moved to sell it afterward. In September 2021 police arrested Hardaway on a warrant tied to murder and gun charges; later developments in the criminal case followed.