A Bennettsville man charged in connection to a 2021 shooting at the Ellison Club in McColl pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and other charges on Thursday.
Deaundre Terrell Malachi, 26, pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter, possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in relation to the incident.
Malachi, of Bennettsville, was sentenced to 28 years in prison on all charges by Circuit Court Judge Heath Taylor at the Marlboro County Courthouse.
According to the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office, at around 2:08 a.m. on March 15, 2021, deputies responded to the Ellison Club in the McColl area about a shooting incident.
Upon arrival to the Ellison Club, it was discovered that a person was shot in the parking lot of the Ellison Club as the club was closing.
The victim died of the injures from the shooting and was identified as Donta Vershawn Pearson, 35 of Laurel Hill, NC. The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division began to investigate this shooting.
Through the course of the investigation, officials discovered that Malachi of Bennettsville, was captured on club security video, shooting Pearson as he walked out of the club.
After the shooting, Malachi fled the scene in a vehicle. Investigators located Malachi later that same day, in Bennettsville, and were able to arrest him after a vehicle pursuit in which Malachi threw crack cocaine from the window of the vehicle.
The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind and encourage anyone with any information pertaining to any type of crime in Marlboro County to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 843-479-5605. The public can also contact Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee at 1-888-CRIME-SC (888-274-6372) or download the “P3 Tips” app on your Apple or Android device.
You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers of the Pee Dee by submitting a web tip at www.peedeewanted.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to leave information and your tip could earn you a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest of person(s) involved in a crime.