Mariyah Ezell

Mariyah Ezell, a 14-year-old Black female from Summerville, South Carolina, was an aspiring entrepreneur whose family would later inscribe her tombstone with the words "Entrepreneur/Boss." In the early morning hours of May 12, 2023, her life was cut short when a driver made a heartbreaking discovery on a quiet road in Ridgeville. Mariyah was found lying near the intersection of Highway 27 and Timothy Lane, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. First responders were called to the scene at approximately 6:50 a.m., but she was beyond help and was pronounced dead.

The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office launched an immediate homicide investigation. Detectives worked through what they described as "mounds of evidence" and numerous tips from the public. They soon learned that Mariyah knew her attackers and that there had been previous "incidents" among the group. Investigators determined that the killing was a "concerted effort" by the suspects. Just two days after Mariyah was found, on May 13, 2023, authorities announced the arrests of four individuals: Drayton Tarvarus Smalls, 18; Sabin Alexander Buck, 19; Bailey Maria Taylor, 17; and an unnamed 16-year-old female. All four were initially charged with murder, and Taylor was charged as an adult.

As the case proceeded, prosecutors revealed that Mariyah had been lured to the remote location by people she believed were her friends. Bailey Taylor, who was a friend of Mariyah's, drove the group to Timothy Lane and coaxed Mariyah into coming with them. Once there, Drayton Smalls led Mariyah behind a building, shot her multiple times, and left her body by the side of the road.

The legal process brought a series of guilty pleas and convictions for those involved. In June 2025, Drayton Smalls pleaded guilty to murder. Identified by authorities as the shooter, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison. That same month, Bailey Taylor also pleaded guilty to murder for her role in driving the vehicle and luring her friend to the scene; she received a 35-year prison sentence.

In January 2026, Sabin Buck pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by probation, for discarding the murder weapon in a retention pond and taking other steps to conceal evidence. The case concluded in March 2026, when the final co-defendant, Marsha Buck, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. For having prior knowledge of the murder plot, allowing her vehicle to be used, and letting three of the individuals stay at her home after the killing, she was sentenced to probation under the Youthful Offender Act.