In the early morning of August 12, 2023, 47-year-old Crystal Dawn Rainey of Greenville was found dead inside her vehicle on Kerr Road in Donalds, South Carolina. The car’s engine was running and investigators determined she had sustained multiple gunshot wounds; the Greenwood County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide.

Investigators identified 40-year-old Joshua Dean Nix of Greenville as a suspect and sought him on murder and weapon charges. Nix was arrested the next day, August 13, 2023, in Charleston and taken into custody. In December 2023 the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office announced it would seek the death penalty; the state’s case is ongoing.

Those who knew Rainey recall a compassionate person who loved animals, spent thirteen years working with horses, and helped care for strays. If anyone knew Crystal or has information about her movements in early August 2023, please come forward.