Two charged in connection of killing of Loris teen have first bond hearings
4/1 update: Police say the charges against Aaron Vereen were increased from voluntary manslaughter to murder
Shortly before a bond hearing for a man accused of misleading a homicide investigation, his mother and the family of an 18-year-old killed shared a few hugs.
A feeling that quickly changed as the hearing started.
Emotions started to run high with the victim’s family raising their voices and calling for the continued incarceration of the suspect. The tension lasted for a few seconds until Horry County sheriff’s deputies stepped in to ensure the situation didn’t escalate.
Tyshon Clifton, 18, appeared in the J. Reuben Long courtroom in Conway on Thursday for a bond hearing. He was charged with obstruction of justice in connection to the killing of Martrellyiz Vereen on Monday near a Loris cemetery. A judge set Clifton’s bond at $5,000.
Members of Vereen’s family spoke during the hearing and pleaded for justice.
“Please we need justice,” one family member said. “We need closure and justice will be served.”
Aaron Vereen, 18, was charged with voluntary manslaughter and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in connection with the incident. A judge declined to set his bond and said he lacked jurisdiction given Aaron Vereen’s history. Aaron Vereen was not present for the hearing, but his attorney said his client understood the decision.
Around 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Horry County police responded to Flag Patch Cemetery Road in the Loris area. There, officers found Loris High School senior Martrellyiz Vereen dead from a gunshot and lying face up behind a car. The Horry County Coroner’s Office identified Vereen on Tuesday and called his death a homicide.
Arrest warrants state there was an argument between Aaron Vereen and Martrellyiz Vereen that got physical. Aaron Vereen then shot Martrellyiz several times.
Several members of Martrellyiz Vereen’s immediate family watched Clifton’s bond hearing on a television outside the courtroom. As the Vereen family talked loudly at the television, Clifton’s mother, who was also outside the courtroom, said her child didn’t play a part in the killing and needed to tell the truth.
Security then escorted the Vereen family outside. There, emotions continued to run high with several police officers near and watching the Vereen family as they talked in raised voices until they left the jail property.
This story was originally published March 28, 2019 at 10:34 AM.
