In the early morning hours of February 23, 2026, a single-vehicle crash was reported on Interstate 20 East near the Clemson Road exit in Columbia, South Carolina. First responders found a pickup truck fully engulfed in flames; the body of 32-year-old James W. Smith III of Bishopville was recovered from the vehicle. The Richland County Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide and said evidence suggested he had been shot.

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department described the killing as a targeted act and called it an isolated incident. Within days, authorities arrested three people in connection with the case: Cedric Hollomon, Dandre Burris, and a third individual named Gequan. All three were charged with murder as the investigation continued and prosecutors prepared the case to move forward.

If anyone witnessed activity near the Clemson Road exit on Interstate 20 East that morning or has information about Smith’s movements before the crash, please share what is known with investigators.